


The Ash of The Earth

by PlegianGengar



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Red & Green & Blue & Yellow | Pokemon Red Green Blue Yellow Versions
Genre: Pokemon - Freeform, Pokemon Death, Pokemon Journey, Pokemon References
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-07-05 22:18:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 33,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15872826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlegianGengar/pseuds/PlegianGengar
Summary: A young, unqualified boy begins his Pokemon journey, eager to succeed the legacy of Pokemon Trainer Red, ex champion and his idol. Along the way he'll be faced with pain, horrors, and loss that he did not anticipate in his idolized fantasy of what he imagined a Pokemon journey would be. Everyone expects he'll lose his Pokemon and even himself, but perhaps in facing such challenges he'll learn what being a Pokemon Trainer really means.





	1. The ash of the earth

**Author's Note:**

> I've always been deeply into the concept of the Nuzlocke challenge and the stories and comics that followed. This is a story that will attempt to bring back some of the magic that I felt when I read the old comics back in the day, with a blend of comedy, emotional moments, and the overall vulnerability and thrill of a run through. I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Rules
> 
> · If a Pokemon faints, it must be released and is considered dead in the story.
> 
> · The first Pokemon encountered in each Route are the only Pokemon that can be caught. (Dupe clause is in effect.)  
> · All Pokemon must have Nicknames, so I'll be emotionally attached.
> 
>  
> 
> Without further ado, let us begin in the town of Pallet!

-

“This is a bittersweet day for me, students,” the Pokemon professor said with a chuckle. “Ever since that infernal phone app was released, less and less students take my courses. There are so few of you, but the excited look on each of your young faces help me forget that I still have another decade before retirement.”

There were, in fact, only six students who even attended his classes. Two girls and four boys, but since only two of the boys are really relevant to the story, we’ll pretend that the other two don’t exist, and there are actually only four students.

“I don’t know why you even let them get their hopes up, Gramps,” Blue Oak said from his spot in the back of the class, leaning back in his chair and grinning. “We all know I’m the best by far.”  
Oak sighed, looking over the list. The kid, while obnoxious sometimes, did have a point. “If only you learned humility instead of just glorified dog fighting. But yes, you’re correct. Blue won the trainer license by a landslide. Granted, Green did tie with him- “

“Ha!” The brunette sitting next to Blue said, punching him in the shoulder. “Take that, you pompous- “

“-But, considering women from Pallet are currently prohibited from becoming Pokemon trainers, I’m afraid she’s disqualified,” Oak said, throwing the girl an apologetic look. “We’re not the most forward-thinking town.”

Blue cackled. “Ha ha, my gender’s better than yours!” Green responded by flipping him out of his chair. Blue yelped as he crashed to the floor.

“So, since he passed my classes with flying colors,” Oak said. “Blue will be the first Pallet trainer of his generation.”

A kid wearing a red jacket and hat, who had been glaring at Oak’s grandson throughout the entire exchange, climbed on top of the table and pointed an accusing finger at the professor. “That’s bullshit! I smell bias!”

“Ash, please, this isn’t the time to use that.” Oak groaned at the sight of the kid’s dirty shoes muddying up the desk. “We do not stand on the chairs. This is the third time this week.”

Ash blushed but didn’t jump down from his desk. “Professor! I told you-call me Red! Ash is the chump from the TV show who doesn’t know how to evolve his starters!”

“Two weeks ago, you were obsessed with being called Ash,” Oak said, resisting the urge to pull out his hair. “I don’t know why I even bother indulging you.”

“To be fair, this is better than the Guardians of the Galaxy phase,” Green said, shrugging.

“Nobody ever called me Star-Lord,” “Red” mumbled. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter, because Red was super cool and edgy and caught all one hundred and fifty Pokemon! I take that name because I will succeed his legacy.”

“Red was also silent,” Oak said, frustrated. “Something I wish you’d be while we’re in the middle of class.”

“I won’t be silent until I expose you for the biased man you are!” Red said. “You only chose Blue because he’s your grandson. I have the real skills!”

“Your grade point average is at the bottom of the class!” Oak snapped, finally losing his cool, but Blue gave a sideways grin to the defiant Red, having finally managed to pull himself back into his seat.

“Never mind that, Gramps, I accept his challenge,” Blue said running his hand through his spiky hair. “I say we settle this in a Pokemon battle. The winner will be declared the champion of Pallet Town.”

“More like Misogyny Town,” Green mumbled, nudging the other girl, Yellow, who giggled.

“Alright!” Red said, happy that Blue had taken his bait. “Let’s do it that way, please Professor? Please, please, please, please-“

“Dear Arceus, if it gets you to SHUT UP!” Oak snarled, slamming his fist on his desk. “FINE! Fine. We’ll head to the stadium outside the building. Then Blue can win, and this day will finally be behind us.”

“You’re the salt of the earth, Red,” Green said, rolling her eyes. "Or wait, heh, should I say 'ash' of the earth?" 

“Stop calling me Ash!”

-  
“Okay,” Oak said, as the two trainers stood at opposite sides of the stadium. “This will be a one on one fight, referred by me. You each will use one of my Pokemon to battle, and the fight will conclude when one Pokemon either falls unconscious or is recalled. Don’t try anything dangerous.” 

Some of the students came to witness the battle, mostly jazzed to see Blue kick someone’s ass again. Still, Red looked so confident and determined that it was easy to imagine he had a chance. At least the people who didn’t know anything about who Red actually was, because it really was just mindless bluster. 

“Tell you what, Red old pal,” Blue said, smirking as he eyed Red toss the Pokeball in his hand. “If you even land a hit on my ‘mon, I’ll forfeit the trainer license to you.”

“You’ll eat those words, Oak,” Red growled. “While the only thing I’ll be tasting is victory.”

“Weak retort.”

“Screw you, it sounded better in my head!” Red shouted, before throwing his Pokeball. “Enough talk!”

“I concur,” Blue said, tossing his own ball lazily. Red’s was a purple, rhino like Pokemon, while Blue’s was a large, round, grinning ghost.

“Oh, like the opening,” Blue said, as the Nidorino and Gengar faced off. “Nice reference.”

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Red shouted, pointing at his Pokemon. “I get a crappy middle evolution and you get a freaking Gengar? That’s not balanced at all.”

Nidorino’s eyes bugged out at this, and he turned around and charged Red, who shrieked and sprinted away from the poison type as fast as he could. Oak groaned, rubbing his nose.

“Red, we do not call our trusted partners crappy middle evolutions. I’ve seen enough; I declare Blue and Gengar the winners!”

“Heh, naturally,” Blue said, as the Gengar cackled and pointed at the still running Red. “The day that kid is allowed to be a Pokemon trainer is the day I eat my running shoes.”

“The ceremony will start in a few minutes,” Oak said, looking at his watch after recalling his Pokemon. “Fortunately, Red’s little outburst took less time than usual. We better be off!”  
-  
“How are you doing?” Yellow asked, patting a miserable Red on the back. She really was the only one who could tolerate the hyperactive kid for long stretches at a time. They watched Blue being presented with his trainer card, and his very first Pokemon, an Eevee.

“I-I don’t care,” Red whimpered, trying to hide his tears. “I-I don’t even LIKE Eevee anyway! Stupid, overrated loser. Maybe if I got a Charmander….I’d burn Blue to cinders..."

“Huh,” Blue said, trying to hide his delight as the little fox crawled up his shoulder. “Eevee eh? Not much of a powerhouse, but I guess she’ll do for a start.” He began to stroke the tiny fox behind the ears, and it let out a contented sigh.

“Eevee, as you know, is a very adaptable Pokemon, capable of evolving into many different types,” Oak said, smiling as he patted Blue on the shoulder. “I wanted you to have type options. She has perfect individual values, and imagine what she’s capable of when she evolves! With a thunderstone, she becomes a mighty Jolteon, one of the most powerful and agile electric types in the region! Or Vaporeon, one of the most adhesive and capable water types! Or Flareon!”

Blue and Professor Oak stared at each other a moment, before they both broke down into laughter at the thought of Flareon.

Blue wiped a tear of mirth from his eyes. “Aaah…. evolving it into Flareon…. priceless.”

“I’m very proud of you, Blue,” Oak said, a kind smile on his face as he looked on his grandson with pride. “You’ve spent your whole life working up to this moment, and now you’re here. Your parents would be so proud as well.”

“I uh…ha…yeah,” Blue said, overwhelmed by the sudden change in tone. “Well uh…don’t act like I’m done yet. I’ll be the champion of the Pokemon league and even surpass you, old man.”

“I know you will,” Oak said, beaming with pride. “That’s why I’m so happy.”

“Look,” Blue said, his voice suddenly becoming a whisper. “While I’m gone…take care of Red for me, okay? We both know he’s not cut out to be a trainer, but…I want him to be happy, yeah? Find something for him to do, will you?”

Oak nodded. “I’ll try, Blue. You know how stubborn he is. Maybe I’ll have him become an intern or something. Pokemon tend to hate him, but at least he’ll be able to work with them! Even if…even if he’ll never truly be a trainer.”

He looked down to the crowd, wondering how Red would be reacting to the ceremony, when his heart stopped. There, next to an awkward Yellow, was an empty seat. They met each others' eyes, and Yellow mouthed: “Route One!”

“Oh God damn it,” Oak said, groaning as he began to sprint down the steps, much to the surprise of Blue and the other teachers. He was getting too old for this. “Not again.”

-  
“All right,” Red said, humming to himself as he marched down to Route One, The only path out from Pallet Town that didn’t require a water taxi. In one hand he carried rope, and in the other a bottle of ketchup, perfect bait for Pokemon in his mind. 

“I may not have had luck before,” Red said as he looked around the tall grass, searching for anything that might be moving. “But now I’m fully prepared! Come out, you little monsters! Help me accomplish my goals and be my slave forever!”

Surprisingly, no one showed up.

“Man,” Red said, beginning to daydream as he sat on a big rock in the middle of one of Route One’s vast fields. “Imagine what I’ll find here? A Charizard, totally. Then Blue will have to admit I’m better.”

He thought of riding on a Charizard, the massive dragon lighting up forests and causing bug Pokemon to panic-but who cared- they were bug Pokemon, when a rustling in the grass broke him out of his thoughts.

“Charizard,” Red whispered, hopping down from the rock. His dreams had come true. He slowly inched towards the rustling grass, his hands shaking a little as he clutched the rope.

Come to think of it, any Pokemon would be cool, Red had to admit. A Dragonite or Scyther for example. Oh. As long as it wasn’t-  
A small, yellow mouse peeked out from the rustling grass, looking politely puzzled.

"Pika?"


	2. Cowboys & Aliens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, fast updates, right? This one's pretty short, so maybe don't get too excited, okay?

"What? Come on! No, no, no, ANYONE but Pikachu!” Red groaned, falling on his knees. “Pikachu are like the Minions of the Pokemon world, give me a break!”

“Pika?” The Pikachu asked, looking up at Red in confusion. For some reason, the electric mouse was not put off by the obnoxious trainer wannabe. Rather, he watched the bottle of ketchup in Red’s eyes with a hungry look.

“I spent weeks making this outfit,” Red groaned, head in his hands. “And now everyone’s going to think I’m Ash. It’s not fair.”

“Pii….” The Pikachu said, narrowing his eyes.

“I DON’T WANT TO BE MAINSTREAM!” Red screeched, stomping on the ground.

“Ow, man, stop screaming when I’m right in front of you!” The Pikachu snapped, his sensitive ears twitching from the loud noise.

Horrible realization dawned on the Pikachu’s face, and he and Red stared at one another with looks of horror.

“Uh….I mean, cough, cough…Pikachu….” The rodent said, trying to save face after his horrible mistake.

“Oh no you don’t!” Red snapped, glaring at the Pikachu. “You can’t fool me. Those weren’t even real coughs! You just said the word ‘cough’!”

“God dammit, hundreds of years we Pokemon have kept our secret, and I blow it in front of the kid who belongs in Special Ed,” the Pikachu groaned, slapping himself in the face. “Now I have to get a Kadabra, wipe the kid’s memory…”

“Whoa, hold on,” Red said. “Can all Pokemon talk, or is it just you?”

“Of course, we can talk!” Pikachu shouted, still annoyed at his own failure. “But you shouldn’t sweat it. We’ll just pay a psychic a little visit and you’ll wake up in your bed tomorrow morning like nothing happened.”

“W-wait, why?” Red asked. “This is awesome! So many strategies I can pull off. I can smuggle a tiny Pokemon into classrooms and cheat on tests! It’s the world’s greatest life hack!”

“No way,” Pikachu growled. “This is a secret we Pokemon have kept for years. No way we’re letting you run free with that knowledge. Come on kid, let’s get this over with. Trust me, you don’t want to be detained by me. It’s like a taser, but a thousand times worse.”

“Can’t we make a deal?” Red pleaded. “I-I’m a Pokemon trainer. We can go on a journey and kick ass and watch movies and sing songs-“

“Wait….did you say movies?” Pikachu asked. “You have movies?”

“Uh…yeah,” Red said, looking puzzled.

“Do you have Cowboys & Aliens?” Pikachu whispered, his eyes growing wide. “I’ve never seen it!”

“Uh yeah, I mean, I’m sure there’s one on PikaBlu-ray somewhere,” Red said, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, it’s not like it’s even that good-“

“Kid,” Pikachu said, grabbing at Red’s jacket and pulling him close to his face. “If you get me a cut of that movie, we’ll keep what happened today a secret. Hell, I’ll be your starter Pokemon or whatever. Arceus knows I need the exercise.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Red said, pumping his fist in the air. “We’ll conquer the league, and I’ll be the greatest trainer ever. I only need you for like, one gym, and then you can do whatever. Just until we get a badass Charizard and Dragonite or something.”

“You have yourself a deal, kid,” Pikachu said with a grin as he shook Red’s hand, privately believing that the kid wouldn’t make it past the first gym. “You’ll be an awesome champion and legend; the whole works.”

“Well, let’s get going then,” Red said, before laughing nervously. “Uh…this is kind of embarrassing, but I don’t have any Pokeballs yet, so you’re going to have to walk…”

“Dude, I’ll just climb up your shoulder, what’s the deal?” Pikachu said, scrambling up Red’s pant leg.

“Wait no, ew, that’s too mainstream,” Red said, cringing. “Just uh…sit on my head?”

“Your funeral,” Pikachu said with a shrug, clambering up Red’s neck and pushing down on Red’s forehead.

“Ow….” Red whimpered as he felt a heavy pain on the back of his head. “I forgot, Pikachu were super fat in this generation…ow, damn it just do the shoulder. Do the shoulder!”

“Yeah, that’s what I was saying’,” Pikachu grumbled, sliding down Red’s neck. “Off to Viridian, eh?”

“Hold on, can I give you a nickname?” Red asked, as he began to set off, Pikachu digging his claws into Red’s clothes for support.

“Uh…sure I guess,” Pikachu said with a shrug. “We Pokemon were never big on names ourselves, but knock yourself out?”

“I think I’ll call you….” Red thought for a moment. “…Rocket.”

“Rocket, eh?” the Pikachu said, mulling over the name for a moment. “That’s like the human contraption, right? The projectile that explodes on impact?”

Red thought of the raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy. “Uh…. yeah. That’s right.”

“Huh,” Rocket said to himself, before giving his new trainer a wicked grin. “I can live with that.”

Then Pokemon and trainer were off, the former guzzling ketchup and the latter daydreaming about the beginning of his Pokemon journey.

-

“RED!” Oak shouted, as he jogged through the fields of Route One, eyes scanning around the vicinity. “WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO!”

His expression changed when he stepped on something squishy. Grumbling to himself, he lifted his leg up to glance at the bottom of his shoe. A fresh ketchup stain.

“That bastard,” Oak whispered. “He didn’t…not Viridian.”

Growling to himself, he pulled up his sleeves and pressed a few buttons on his watch. “Hello, Walt? A trainer wearing a ridiculous red getup may get in your way. If he asks for Pokeballs without a license or a means to pay for them, send him my way. Thank you.”

Sighing, Oak ran a hand through his graying hair. One of these days, Red needed a reality check. The professor couldn’t keep saving him forever.

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> So, we're introduced to Red's first Pokemon, Rocket the Pikachu. And he's a big, sassy chub. They'll have a bunch of fun interactions together.
> 
>  
> 
> Red's Team As of This Chapter
> 
>  
> 
> Pokemon Trainer: Red  
> Level: Idiot  
> Badges: None  
> Deaths: 0
> 
> Team:  
> Rocket the Pikachu: Level 5


	3. Ultimatum

“I’m on the road to Viridian City~!” Red sang at the top of his lungs as he marched through the tall grass, ignoring the shrieking Spearow that lunged for him.

“On the road, on the road,” Rocket replied, making his voice deeper as he threw powerful thundershocks at the lunging raptors. Each bolt of lightning took one out, and soon he had gotten a pile started.

Trainer and Pokemon went through all ten verses of the song, before falling into silence for a few minutes. Red broke it, giving the Pikachu a curious look.

“So, I’ve been wondering,” Red said. “If Pokemon are as powerful and intelligent as we are, why is it us humans that are on top?”

“You humans are some of the most arrogant life forms I know,” Rocket said with a snort. “All their “control” over the world is an illusion. Have you read half of old Oak’s Pokedex entries? Alakazam has an IQ of five thousand. You pink monkeys have nothing on us.”

“Well, then why do you let us capture you and use you in dogfights? A lot of you guys end up dying in league matches,” Red countered.

Rocket shrugged his yellow shoulders. “Highly intelligent or not, we’re still Pokemon. Battling’s what we do. We love it, and human fighting is really boring and lacks diversity. Trust me, we’ve tried. Lot of corpses serve as testament to that.”

Red shuddered at that. “So why fight on our terms? You could create your own system or something.”

“Well, the Pokemon Leagues you humans came up with are pretty kick-ass. Definitely one of the best things you as a species thought of. Plus, we don’t have the same concept of strategy and training methods you humans do, so working with you makes us all the stronger. Look, quit questioning and accept it, all right? I’m not a damn Pokemon psychologist.”

“Looks like we’re here,” Red said, pointing at a sign to their left that inscribed the words: Viridian City, The Eternally Green City. “Wow, it’s huge!”

“Huge? This is one of the smallest cities in the Kanto region,” Rocket scoffed. “Now, Saffron or Celadon…those are impressive.”

“Well, I have no context,” Red said with a shrug as they walked down the dusty road that led to the city’s border. “I’ve never been out of Pallet Town before, and that place is a dinky little hole in the ground.”

“Wait, never been out of Pallet?” Rocket said in surprise. “The place with literally two houses? No wonder you’re so screwed up in the head. You need to see some sights, get a nice view of the beautiful Kanto region!”

“I heard there’s buildings that trades money for supplies and services,” Red whispered. “No more digging through trash cans.”

“You’ve never even seen a Pokemart?” Rocket said, once again in surprise. “Damn, Pallet really is the boonies. This has to be a whole new world for you.”

Even despite’s Rocket’s claims that Viridian City wasn’t impressive, Red couldn’t help but be amazed at the tall green buildings and the sheer amount of people walking around, conversing and going about their day. He had never seen so many people in one place before.

What was disappointing, however, was Viridian’s Gym, which normally served as one of the eight challenges that a trainer had to face to challenge the Pokemon League. The gym was locked, and when Red tried to peek inside, a tall man in a white suit stopped him.

“My apologies,” the flamboyant man said, bowing to the trainer. His blue hair was straight and long, and it went down to his shoulders. “But the gym leader is away, and as such the gym is off limits for now.”

“What?” Red snapped. “He’s a gym leader, not the leader of an underground crime syndicate. Being here is his job.”

The man bit his lips and shrugged, before eyeing the Pikachu on the trainer’s shoulder. “If we’re being honest, it’s probably for the best. Your little rodent won’t be much good alone against the leader here. Viridian gym is known to be home to Kanto’s most powerful trainers.”

“Whatever,” Red growled, stomping away. “C’mon, Rocket, let’s go to the Pokeshop to get some supplies.”

“Pokemart,” Rocket corrected in a whisper.

“Good luck on your journey!” The man called after them in a cheery voice, before a sudden ringing prompted him to check his Pokegear. The man winced as a flanged female voice rang in the air.  


“Fine, fine, I’ll get one of the grunts to watch it,” he said, admitting defeat. “I’ll be at Mt. Moon presently. Please though, leave some fossils for me.” -  
“Kid, I don’t know what else to tell you,” an exhausted shopkeeper said, groaning as he leaned over the counter of the Pokemart. “I can’t sell you any Pokeballs.”

“Well, why not?!” Red shouted, banging his fist on the table as Rocket stood in the corner, trying to make himself look unrelated to the trainer.

“Well, first of all, you lack a trainer card, so it’s illegal for you to go out and catch Pokemon,” The shopkeeper said. “Secondly, you have no money, so even if you could purchase Pokeballs you wouldn’t have the funds. I’m assuming you’re ‘Red’? From Pallet Town?”

“That’s right!” Red said, grinning and tipping his hat. “See, Rocket? I’m already famous.”

“Yeah, Sam told me all about you,” The shopkeeper said with a groan. “He’ll be here in a minute, so you can sort this all out.”

“Shit,” Red hissed, spinning to face the exit. “Rocket, we need to go before- “

He faltered. Standing next to the door was a frowning Professor Oak, who had his hands folded. Blue was standing next to his grandfather, snickering at Red’s face.

“Hi Professor,” Red said, trying for a winning smile. “Fancy meeting you here!”

“Red, you’ve been foolish before, but this is downright….” Oak took a deep breath. “You’ve never gone this far!”

“That’s because I finally have a Pokemon of my own!” Red protested, gesturing to Rocket. “My Pikachu! I can travel Kanto now, can’t I?”

“You. Are. Unqualified,” Oak hissed, dragging Red outside by his coat. “Blue graduated early thanks to his superb grades, but your grades aren’t even acceptable enough for me allow you to start your journey with the other students once trainer season starts.”

“That’s not fair!” Red snapped. “Just because I can’t remember facts and sometimes I accidentally set the grass types on fire doesn’t mean I can’t make it as a trainer! It’s my life dream!”

“I know it is,” Oak said quietly. “Good Arceus do I know. You’ve been passionate about it for as long as I can remember…but…. it’s not a job that that everyone can succeed in…”

“You always tell me that,” Red said, glaring at the Professor. “You always try to convince me of an alternative. You’re Professor Oak, the smartest man in Kanto, creator of the Pokedex. If there’s anyone who can help me achieve my dream, it’s you. Why can’t you have faith in me?!”

“Because it’s not just about you!” Oak growled, losing his temper again. “Pokemon can die if a trainer isn’t careful enough, and you struggle with even the basic concepts of Pokemon battling. You and your Pokemon could get yourself killed out there; it’s not a game!”

Red opened his mouth, wordlessly staring at the agitated professor.

“Pika,” Rocket suddenly said, padding over to Red and giving him a reassuring pat on the leg. He crouched as he faced the professor, his eyes narrowed and his cheeks sparking.

Red gave a grateful smile to his Pokemon before giving Oak a pleading look. “At least let me prove myself now. Let me show you that I can do this.”

“Gramps,” Blue said, after giving a long look to Red. “Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. You said yourself that you can’t learn everything in a classroom. I’ll battle him here and we can test if he’s ready.”

“Thanks, Blue,” Red said, giving Oak’s grandson a smile.

Blue returned a cocky grin. “Let’s not get mushy. I’ll take any excuse I can to knock you into the dirt.”

Oak sighed, looking down at a Pokeball in his hand. All he wanted was for the two boys to be happy, and he knew that both loved battling Pokemon with all their heart. Red wasn’t ready…. but was he himself any different when he started out? In truth, Red scared him because he reminded Oak of himself, much more than his own grandson. Oak knew that he had gotten far, but the hardship that got him there…. was it something he could put Red through?

“All right,” Oak said with a sigh. “You and Blue may battle, and I’ll serve as referee. If you and your Pikachu’s performance in the battle is satisfactory, you may begin your Pokemon journey alongside Blue. If not…”

He gave Red a piercing gaze. “I don’t want to hear a word about you attempting to train Pokemon ever again. You’ll find another career.”

He expected Red to be taken aback but this, but he didn’t even hesitate in his acceptance, giving Oak a steely look. Blue chuckled at that, unclipping the Pokeball from his belt and pressing the button on the front of it.

“Eevee, let’s get this over with.” The brown, fox Pokemon stuck the landing well on her powerful legs, and she gave Rocket a vicious look. The Pokemon stared at each other, ready to move.

Blue folded his arms, his next three moves already planned in his head. Red tipped his hat, secretly trying to remember the Pikachu’s attack names.

“Let the battle begin!” Oak shouted, and both trainers shouted orders at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red's Team As of This Chapter
> 
>  
> 
> Pokemon Trainer: Red  
> Level: Idiot  
> Badges: None  
> Deaths: 0
> 
> Team:  
> Rocket the Pikachu: Level 5


	4. Playing Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like to apologize for the delay between chapters. Been struggling to balance my stories lately. Hope you enjoy!

Eevee rushed forward, a fierce expression on her face as she launched herself at Rocket, who managed to dive out of the way. Rocket smirked. He may not have Eevee’s superior genes, but he was still a Pikachu.

And no Eevee could outpace a Pikachu.

Red watched Eevee slide, almost losing her balance after her missed attack. The opening was obvious.

“Use hyper beam, Rocket!” Red shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

Rocket tensed, before stopping in surprise. He blinked at Red, confused, before throwing a helpless look at Professor Oak. A second later Eevee slammed into him, and the Pikachu squeaked as he was sent rolling away.

“Red….your Pikachu is level five,” Oak said with a groan, putting his head in his hands. “Not to mention his species can’t even learn the move….”

Rocket couldn’t risk talking to Red directly, but he threw his trainer a look that plainly said ‘I NEED ORDERS!’ Eevee flipped back to her trainer’s side.

“Excellent hit, Eevee,” Blue said, grinning. “Use tackle again!”

Eevee sprinted forward as Red racked his brain, trying to remember his Pokemon’s attacks.

“Uh…use thunder…thunder smash!” Red cried in uncertainty.

Rocket groaned. “Close enough.”

With a shriek of power, Rocket shot a bolt of lightning….that the Eevee dodged. The fox slammed into Rocket again, sending the poor thing flying. Blue’s grin widened as Rocket slowly managed to rise to his feet, breathing deeply. The fight was just about over.

“Use tackle, Eevee, end it!” Blue ordered.

“Use thunder smash, Rocket!” Red shouted.

Eevee launched herself forward as Rocket steeled himself up and forced another thundershock. The bolt of lightning managed to strike Eevee for once, and it did damage judging by the expression of pain on her face, but she merely ran through it, feinting Rocket and tackling him when he tried to dodge her again. The Pikachu hit the dirt on his face, moaning in pain.

Rocket groaned, considering just staying down, when he saw Red’s hand shift slightly, holding out four fingers for him to see. It was probably ridiculous to assume Red would have some hidden message for him, but…

“Uh, is he alive?” Blue said, as the Pikachu failed to get up. “Maybe we went a little overboard, huh, Eevee?”

The fox was sniffing over Rocket’s body curiously, and Rocket saw Red’s fingers close into a fist. Realization dawned on the Pikachu.

“OOGA BOOGA!” Rocket shrieked, pouncing on a flabbergasted Eevee. Before the fox could move, Rocket unleashed all the electricity in his body, blasting the Eevee with everything he had. She shrieked and writhed, but couldn’t break free from his iron grip.

“Don’t waste time trying to throw him off!” Blue shouted, getting over his surprise. “Knock him away.”

Eevee gritted through the pain and slammed her head into Rocket’s, sending him rolling away. She tried to charge him down, but grimaced as the paralysis effect rendered her body immobile. Rocket slowly rose to his feet, and the two exhausted Pokemon glared at each other.

“I’ve seen enough,” Oak barked. “We’ll call it a draw.”

“What?” Blue hissed as Red whooped at his narrow escape of failure. “Gramps, I had him.”

“If the battle had gone on any longer, both Pokemon would be at the risk of death,” Oak said, stern, but not unkind. “It wasn’t worth the risk.”

“So, does that mean I can start my adventure?” Red whispered, stars in his eyes.

Oak let out a sigh, already feeling regret. “Yes. You will get your official license to capture and train Pokemon. If you so wish you can challenge the eight gyms of Kanto.”

“Haha!” Red whooped, before wheeling on Blue. “You hear that? From here on out we’re rivals!”

“We are, are we?” Blue asked, raising an eyebrow. “Next time we fight I’ll beat you bad you’ll wish you stayed in school.”

Oak watched their exchange, curious. He had to admit, Red had surprised him. He had thought the boy stagnant, unable to learn from his mistakes. But it seemed now that the many times Blue had defeated him had rubbed off enough for Red to begin to plan counter strategies. Perhaps he had a chance after all.

-

“I’m sure glad you translated my hand gestures, Rocket,” Red said. They sat in the Pokemon Center, where Nurse Joy was spraying the Pikachu with a potion that began to heal his injuries. “Four is a Japanese symbol for death, and you took the hint of playing dead perfectly.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, we’re both weebs,” Rocket said, before hissing as one of the sprays hit a particularly nasty bruise. “Ow, watch the merchandise, toots.”

Red had been surprised to learn that Nurse Joys were, in fact, Dittos that had evolved to emulate humans and their jobs. He supposed it made sense, considering how many of the identical nurses there were.

“Anyway, we better watch that movie, soon,” Rocket grumbled. “If all your strategies rely on beating the tar out of me I won’t survive more than a few fights.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll only use you until I have a team of badass Pokemon,” Red said. “With the legendary birds, Charizard, Dragonite…. then you can go get stoned in Fuchsia City or something.”

“Ooh, that sounds good,” the Pikachu said with a wistful grin. “You sure know how to motivate a guy.”

“Well then, let’s go catch some teammates!” Red said, leaping to his feet. Rocket chuckled. He was so confident and excited it was hard not to get caught up in the hype.

“Not so fast, Red,” Professor Oak said, walking into the hospital room, having overhead the trainer’s attempt to leave. “If you’re serious about becoming a Pokemon trainer we need to register Rocket as yours and get your trainer card and Pokedex. We’ll need to go back to Pallet because it’ll take a few days to get everything sorted.”

“What, but Blue already left!” Red protested. “He’ll have a huge head start if we take that long.”

“Then you’ll have to compensate,” Oak said. “Come along, Red. It’s better to get these things out of the way.”

Red moaned as Oak dragged him out, and his complaints were clearly heard long after he was out of the Pokemon Center.

“Is he…always like that?” Nurse Joy said, amused and more than a little concerned for Rocket.

“Yeah, he’s a keeper, isn’t he?” Rocket said with a chuckle as he hopped to the hospital floor, intent on chasing after his new trainer.


	5. The Real Beginning

-

“He’s so cute,” Yellow said, squishing Rocket in her arms and giggling. The Pikachu winced at the tight grip, but he began to sigh a little in satisfaction as she began to scratch behind his ear. “I can’t believe Oak actually let you start your own journey, Red!”

“Yup!” Red said, grinning from where he sat on the front steps of Professor Oak’s laboratory, tipping his hat over his eyes. “By the time you see me next, I’ll be a Pokemon master.”

“We all know that you’re going to crash and burn, Ash,” Green said. “You’re the worst student in the class, and every Pokemon you’ve worked with in mock battles has hated you.”

“Okay, one, it’s Red,” Red snapped. “Two, you weren’t there. Rocket and I beat Blue in a match.”

“It was a draw,” Professor Oak said, stepping out of his lab and nudging Red with his foot, forcing the new trainer to scramble out of his way. “And that was because you got lucky with a paralysis effect. Still, your Pikachu hasn’t tried to kill you yet, so I suppose that’s at least a start.”

“Gramps! Er...I mean, Oak!” Red said. “Is everything ready? Can we head out now?”

“In a moment, Red,” Oak said. “Green, have you made a decision?”

“Yeah, I have,” Green said, gesturing to the bag on her back. “I’m every bit the trainer your grandson is, and I think I’ve learned all I can from your classes, professor. It sucks that I won’t be able to rep Pallet like Blue and Red, but at this point I just want to start raising Pokemon.”

“Wait, Green, you’re starting your journey too?” Red asked, stunned.

“That’s right,” Green said, giving a little mock bow. “I’m going to be interning for Rocket Industries for a bit, and they offer a program that gives us a starter Pokemon and a Pewter trainer license. There’s an excavation not too far from here, over at Mt. Moon, so I’ll be able to jump right into it.”

“Then here’s a little gift from me,” Professor Oak said, handing her the same invention he did his grandson. “Technically you’re not supposed to be carrying a Pokedex, but I was able to pull a few strings.”

“Sweet!” Green said, clutching it in her hand. “It’s such an honor to carry one of these!”

“Red, I have one for you as well,” Oak said, handing him the delicate device. “Oh, and your trainer card-”

“Yes!” Red said, dropping the Pokedex immediately, and looking down at the smooth, silver card with his face on it, Rocket’s own face appearing on one of the six Pokeballs under his labeled name-

“Hey, why doesn’t it say Red?” Red demanded, as Yellow scooped up the fallen Pokedex.

“Obviously your birth name needed to be displayed,” Oak said, rolling his eyes. “And please be more careful with the Pokedex. It’s my life’s goddamn work for crying out loud.”

“Right, sorry,” Red said, taking the Pokedex from Yellow. He couldn’t hide the wide grin on his face, and he looked downright ready to explode with joy.

“Finally, I’ve registered Rocket the Pikachu as your official starter Pokemon,” Oak said, handing Red a Pokeball with a lightning bolt engraved above the button. “As of right now you’re an official trainer of Pallet Town.”

“Awesome!” Red cried. “Let’s go, Rocket!”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Oak said. “Red, are you even packed?”

“I uh..of course!” Red said, showing the Professor his backpack. “With all the essentials!”

“Right. The essentials,” Oak said, rummaging through it. “Red. All that’s in here is candy, a few DVDs, and a roll of condoms.”

“H-hey, I could get lucky!” Red said, nudging Green, who rolled her eyes and pushed him away.

“Red, please go pack some better provisions and at least a change of clothes,” Oak said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“I’ll be fine!”

“Red, please,” Oak said. “The sooner you get packed, the sooner you can get the hell out of-”

“I don’t...I don’t really want to go back to my house,” Red admitted, biting his lip. Rocket’s ears perked up at that, and both Green and Yellow looked down a bit awkwardly.

“Oh. I see,” Oak said, with a nod of understanding. “Well, allow me. I’d probably do a better job anyway. Please excuse me Green, I’ll get you a ride to Pewter City presently.”

“Of course, prof,” Green said, giving a quick glance to Red. “Take all the time you need.”

“You doing okay?” Yellow asked Red, who suddenly looked very embarrassed. “Today one of the bad days?”

“Uh, of course I am?” Red said. “I just uh...want to move on with life, y’know? Leave my boring suburban home and get wild.”

“Of course,” Yellow said, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear. “I get it.”

-

Oak was surprised she even opened the door.

Delia, Red’s mother stood at the door, dressed in a dirty bathrobe, blinking at the professor for several seconds before comprehension really dawned on her. “Oh. Hello. What did Quill do this time?”

Oak cleared his throat. “Hello, Delia. Your son is actually not going to be here for a long time. He’s begun his Pokemon journey. I’m just here to help him pack.”

“Huh,” Delia said, letting out a little yawn. “That actually panned out, huh? He’ll never let me hear the end of this. I told him there was no way he’d ever graduate. Not like his father at all.”

“Yes, well, he’s far exceeded my expectations,” Oak said, teetering on the balls of his feet. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you’re proud of him.”

“I’ll be proud of him when he does better in school,” Delia said, snorting. “You coming in?”

Delia’s home was as unkempt and messy as always. Clothes and wrappers were strewn across the floor, and it was so dark that Oak slammed his bad knee into the edge of a low table, letting out a little moan in response.

“Sorry, damn electric bill,” Delia said in response. “You want some coffee?”

“I’m quite alright,” Oak said, limping over to where he knew Red’s room was.

In contrast to the untidy house, Red’s room was clean and well organized, with a bed that was made with fresh sheets. Oak had had a feeling that he hadn’t been staying there recently. Posters of ‘Ash Ketchum’ were all on the walls, as well as figures of some of the Pokemon he was obsessed with. Oak rolled his eyes at the sheer number of Dragonites that were there.

“You know, he never tells me anything anymore,” Delia said conversationally through a mouthful of something. “I suppose I just thought his lack of news was par for the course, given his track record in...well, anything really.”

By the time Oak had finished packing, Delia was asleep on her counter, the sink still running. Letting out a sigh, he leaned over the counter and turned it off, before leaving some cash on the counter for the electric bill.

“Hopefully the bills are what she spends the money on,” Oak muttered as he gingerly shut the front door behind him. He never liked to be at Red’s house longer than he needed to.

-

“I gave you a bit of money to get by until you can earn some in official matches,” Oak said to Red as he and the two girls led the trainer to the outskirts of Pallet. “Pokeballs, a few potions...enough to tide you over to Pewter city.”

“Thanks, Oak,” Red said, giving the professor a smile. “I uh...couldn’t have done it without you.”

“It’s your Pokemon you must rely on now,” Oak said, gesturing to the Pikachu on his shoulder. “Rely on each other. Teamwork is what’s most important on the road ahead.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ve all seen the show,” Red said. “Can I get going now? I’ll be sure to make you proud!”

“Just don’t get yourself killed, you goof,” Green said with a chuckle, giving Red a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you on the road ahead.”

Red blushed. “Aw...gee.”

The trainer set off, already singing the Viridian City song again.

“He’s nothing if not confident,” Green said, shaking her head and grinning after him. “Well, I’d better go say goodbye to my folks.”

“I’ll miss you too, Green,” Yellow said sadly. “Everyone else is going on without me and I’ll be stuck in Pallet until trainer season.”

“Well, I do have an alternative,” Professor Oak said helpfully. “What do you feel about wearing a large floppy hat to hide the fact that you’re a girl?”

“Really, Professor?” Yellow asked with a groan.

“What, it works out in the manga!”

-  
With a fierce squawk, the Spearow darted through the sky, swift as an arrow, aiming for the Eevee challenging it. The fox however, nimbly dodged to the side, and the bird was forced to pull up.

“Excellent dodge, Eevee,” Blue Oak said, grinning at his starter’s competence. She really was a prodigy. “Now let’s bait it out and finish the thing.”

Sure enough, Spearow made for another pass, but this time Eevee wasn’t content with just dodging. Ducking under the tiny bird’s swipe, she jumped and bit it by the leg, eliciting a surprised squawk. With a grunt of effort, Eevee hurled the Spearow down with all her strength, slamming the poor bird against the ground.

“Now,” Blue said, tossing a Pokeball, his grin never fading all the while. The ball made contact with the dazed Spearow, and it entered the ball, which began to shake. A moment’s breath of anticipation and the ball stopped moving. The Spearow was caught.

“Excellent work,” Blue said, giving his starter a pat on the head. “You’re every bit the Pokemon a genius like me deserves.”

Picking the ball up, he hesitated. “Think I’ll name you...Hawkeye. And you know…? I caught just about every species possible on Route One, but you’re the first one I think I’ll officially add to my battle team.”

“Oh, that’s cute.”

“Pardon?” Blue said, and he and his Eevee turned.

An older man than Blue was smirking as he approached the new trainer wearing a dark outfit with a red ‘R’ labeled on the front, an impressive looking Slowbro at his side who shared his expression. “Just interesting to see some new blood this far before trainer season starts. Aren’t you a few months early?”

“Well, I am a special case,” Blue said, showing the man his trainer card. “Top qualifier of Professor Oak’s Pokemon Academy. His grandson as well. Just started out on my journey two days ago.”

“Well, ain’t that interesting. The old coot’s living’ vicariously through you, I see.” The man leaned down to pet the Eevee, who giggled in delight. “Hmph. Strong breed. Clearly bred to fight.”

“Look, can I help you at all?” Blue asked, raising an eyebrow. “Not to be rude, but why travel to Route 22 of all places?”

“Headin’ to Victory Road,” the man said. “I’ll be the first qualifier to fight the Elite Four next season. First time in years.”

“You sure seem exuberant about it,” Blue said. “Considering they don’t accept challengers for quite a few months.”

“I’m taking the time to train,” the older man said, shrugging his shoulders. “I uh...didn’t do so well last time I took on the elite four. Didn’t even make it to the dragon master, and I was flat broke on both money and Pokemon afterwards. Rocket Industries gave me the resources necessary for a second chance. Considering the Pokemon I lost the first time...I felt I’d owed it to them.”

Blue’s eyes flickered a scar that ran deep down one of the Slowbro’s arms. Their eyes met, and Blue felt himself shiver a bit at the intensity in the Pokemon’s gaze, one not befitting that of a lazy, mellow Slowbro. Blue’s Eevee was no doubt powerful for her species, but against a Pokemon of that level and experience? He’d pop off Eevee’s head without effort.

“Ah, stop spooking the kid, Sebastian,” the man said with a snicker, and trainer and Pokemon began on their way. “See you around, kid. I have a feeling you’ll go far.”

“Can I get your name?” Blue called after him. “I’m hoping once I learn the ropes we’ll have a battle!”

“Friends call me Proton!” The man snapped. “And you’d better follow through after the expectations you’ve been setting for me. I don’t like disappointments!”

“Huh, Rocket Industries, eh?” Blue muttered. “Wonder why they’d care at all about Pokemon battling.

“More importantly.” Blue lifted up Eevee in his arms. “I still haven’t thought up a good name for you, girl. Enough training, I’m dedicating the rest of the day to find the perfect nickname for my battle princess.”

-


	6. The World's Colors

-

“You know, I’m no trainer,” Rocket said, zapping a Pidgey that tried to lunge for him. “But aren’t you supposed to catch Pokemon?”

Red had spent the first day rejecting the local Pokemon: Spearow, Pidgey, and Rattata, because they weren’t ‘cool enough.’ After having his Pikachu blast up Route One and likely causing great damage to the ecosystem, Red took a beeline from Viridian City to Route 22, eager to keep training.

“But these ones are so boring!” Red said. “I don’t want to waste time training a shitty rodent.”

“I’m a rodent!” Rocket said, offended.

“Well, yeah but uh….” Red scratched the back of his head. “Um….yeah, I don’t really have a satisfying response to that.”

“You don’t think I’m cool?” Rocket asked in disbelief. “I have electric powers! I’m like the most popular Pokemon in the world!”

“Yeah, and overexposed,” Red said, rolling his eyes. “Maybe if we get you to a Raichu….”

“I don’t want to be a Raichu!” Rocket snapped.

“Wait, shh...do you see that?” Red asked, crouching down. On instinct, the PIkachu ducked as well. The nearby bush was rustling, and a long, thin, white tail was hanging out.

“That one could be cool,” Red said. “Go beat it up, Rocket.”

“I don’t want to,” Rocket said, folding his arms. “Not after how rude you were to me.”

Red slapped himself hard in the face. “Rocket, please! It’s right there.”

“No, you hurt my feelings,” Rocket said, pouting. 

“All right!” Red shouted. “I’m sorry I said you were overexposed and not cool. I didn’t mean it, and I’m grateful to have you.”

“Do you mean that?” Rocket said, glancing up at the trainer.

“Of course!” Red said. “Look, without your help, I’d still be stuck in Pallet Town. Me meeting you was the greatest day of my life.”

“I-It was?” Rocket said, managing a small smile. “Well, I guess in that case-”

“KEEEEY!” The Pokemon in the bushes, a Mankey, burst out of the bush and sprinted forward, foaming at the….well wherever the mouth would be.

Red and Rocket both screamed.

The rabid Mankey lunged at Red, who swung his bag to knock it off balance. Before it could attack again, Rocket was on it with a battlecry. As the two wrestled, Rocket let out several electric blasts, but they only seemed to make it angrier.

Rocket yelped as the Mankey’s arms went around his throat and pinned him to the ground. “Agh...throw the ball…!” He rasped, struggling to get out the words. “Catch the damn-grrk!”

“I got you, Rocket!” Red said, hurling a Pokeball….that missed the Mankey and struck the Pikachu on the ear.

“Leave him alone!” Red shouted, throwing more balls, all of them hitting Rocket.

“Ow! I-ow! I changed my mind-ow! STOP HELPING!” Rocket shrieked.

With a yowl of effort, Rocket managed a focused bolt of lightning, blasting Mankey off its feet, and rolled over, retching. Red threw a ball, but Mankey suddenly turned and caught it in midair.

“Damn it, why is this so hard?” Red moaned, as Mankey charged him.

“Okay, only one of you left,” Red said, stepping back. “Er...want the hat?”

He took it off and waved it in front of the monkey, watching its eyes follow it. Rocket advanced on it from behind, ready to strike, but Red shook his head, and the Pikachu backed off.

With a grunt of effort, he tossed the hat and backpedaled, gulping as the Mankey sprinted forwards. It tackled the hat, looking at it for a moment, before putting it on its head. Giggling a little, it clapped its hands, before a Pokeball slammed into its nose and it entered the ball.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Rocket said, gaping as he walked up to the shaking ball. Still, his cheeks sparked with electricity in case the monkey broke free.

It didn’t though, and it stopped shaking.

“Huh,” Rocket said with a blink. “Not bad-”

“YES!” Red shouted in victory. “MY FIRST OFFICIAL CAPTURE! AND IT’S A COOL ONE!”

“Wait, we’re keeping this psycho?” Rocket asked. “The damn thing nearly choked me to death.”

“But it didn’t, you big baby,” Red said. “C’mon, let’s head back to the Pokemon Center. I think we all could use a rest.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that I guess,” Rocket said. “But you’re paying for a Pokemon Spa and Bath. Arceus knows I deserve it after today.”

-

“Sorry about getting so rough like that,” the Mankey, now placated, said. The monkey was hanging from one the wardrobes from her tail, eating some of the grub Nurse Joy had been kind enough to feed her. “Once I get into a rage, I kind of lose it. Total berserker thing.”

“I mean, that’s cool as hell,” Red said, from where he was lying on the bed. “But why were you so angry anyway?”

“My home wasn’t what it used to be,” the Mankey said with a little sigh. “For some reason, these trainers keep coming in hoades, capturing bunches of Pokemon at once. By the time you guys showed up, all my friends were gone. All the other Mankey and Nidoran….”

“Well, I guess that explains why we only ran into common Pokemon on that route,” Rocket said, walking into the room, towel wrapped around his waist. “Still, groups of trainers? That’s odd.”

“They were wearing dark outfits,” the Mankey said, and her hands began to tremble. “Urgh, even the sight of them throws me into a-grrrrr….”

“Whoa, easy!” Rocket said, raising his hands defensively. “Happy thoughts! Clouds and sunshine!”

The Mankey took a few deep breaths. “Er...sorry about that. Can we change the conversation?”

“Well, how about a nickname?” Red said. “I was thinking...Jackie. Like...Jackie Chan. Get it, like in Kung Fu Panda!”

“Oh,” Mankey said. “Is Jackie Chan cool?”

“So cool,” Red said with a grin. “He’s a kickass martial artist, and he does his own stunts! Hell, I think I might have some of his movies…”

“Maybe we should discuss where we are from here?” Rocket asked, raising an eyebrow. “Since we basically know there’s nothing for us ‘round Viridian, we should probably head for Viridian Forest tomorrow.”

“Oh, good idea!” Red said, clapping his hands. “We can beat up some bug types!”

-

“Mt. Moon, eh?” Green said, looking up at the mouth of the massive cave. “I’ve never even been out of Pallet, so I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s pretty incredible.”

“Yup!” The scientist next to her said with a little whistle. He was wearing a torn up lab coat and thick glasses. “I’ve been working at this site for three weeks, and still every time I see it takes my breath away.”

Mt. Moon was closed off by yellow tape, and several men in dark outfits with red ‘R’s labeled on their breast stood guard. Green didn’t like the look of them, especially considering how they were staring at her. The man that came out to greet her seemed far more friendly and gentlemanly, however. His own suit was white and pristine, making the ‘R’ look even more striking.

“You must be the new intern from Pallet yes?” The man said, holding out his hand. “I’m James, co-head researcher in the Mt. Moon initiative along with my partner Jessie. I’ve heard quite a bit about you from Professor Oak. One of his top students I hear?”

“Aww...he said that about me?” Green said, chuckling a little as she eagerly shook his hand. “I’ve always wanted to see Rocket Industries at work.”

“And you will!” James said, leading Green and the scientist past the guards, who nodded in respect to James and did away with the tape. “I see you met our top archeologist, Miguel.”

“Yes, he was kind enough to greet me when I arrived in Pewter. Gave me an amazing tour of the museum he works for, and I’ll admit, he certainly hyped me up for this internship,” Green said, looking around in awe. Massive moonstones shone, enveloping the cave in a low, peaceful light.

“Oh, Miguel, that’s so you,” James said, turning back to chuckle at the embarrassed scientist.

“I can’t help myself,” Miguel said with an awkward chuckle. “Whenever someone new comes aboard I can’t help but geek out to get them excited. It made me popular as a C.I.T.”

“It’s thanks to Miguel’s discoveries that our research team even knew to come here,” James said as he led them down the tunnel. “We all knew Mt. Moon was shrouded in mystery, but Miguel was the first one to discover remnants of fossils deep in the cave. New, extinct Pokemon are being discovered as we speak.”

“Wow,” Green said. “That’s...incredible.”

“Green, you haven’t even heard anything yet,” Miguel said with an excited giggle. “If you knew what Rocket Industries had the potential to do with these fossils…”

“Ah, here we are!” James said, and they walked into a massive chamber, this one clearly lived in. Torches were lit along the cavern walls, and cots were strewn about. Scientists were relaxing and talking as they drank coffee, over tables with maps and excavation tools practically overflowing. James smiled, leading Green to a far more presentable table in the back, with a single Pokeball and a folded outfit upon it.

“Your very first Pokemon,” James said, giving a little bow. Hands shaking, Green picked up the ball. “Well, let him out!”

A Nidoran was released from the ball, and he blinked up at Green with big round eyes. Green, staring in awe, leaned down, and, careful to avoid his poison spikes, began to stroke his forehead. Nidoran’s eyes closed and moved into her touch.

James looked to a smiling Miguel. “There’s nothing more magical than a trainer meeting their starter Pokemon for the first time.”

Soon the Nidoran was shuddering in pleasure when Green scratched behind his ear, his foot thumping on the dirt floor. When Green scooped him up her in arms, he made no move to escape, nestling comfortably in her arms.

“I...thank you,” Green said, looking at her first Pokemon in disbelief. “He’s incredible.”

“It’s customary to give Pokemon a nickname,” Miguel said. “Something that even deepens your bond.”

“How about….Tyrone?” The Nidoran sneezed at that. “No? Maybe Gerald?”

Gerald smiled at the name, looking up and licking Green’s cheek.

James smiled. “I’m sure your friendship will be long and prosperous. Now, as an intern here you’ll be working as Miguel’s assistant, offering him your services with whatever he needs and hopefully learning a lot along the way. I know you’re eager to be a Pokemon trainer, but I promise that if you ever would like a job with us, I do have a bit of pull at The Silph Company.”

He gave her a little wink.

“Well, that would be amazing,” Green said. “Seriously, you guys are awesome. Best internship ever!”

“I’m excited to work with you as well, Green,” Miguel said in his little nervous laugh of his. “Today we’ll just tour around the cave, introduce you to how we do things. Shall we get started?”

“Oh, one last thing,” James said, suddenly looking a little awkward. He picked up the folded up outfit on the table and held it out, revealing it to be the same one as the guards outside and many of the workers she had seen lounging around. The red ‘R’ as usual, shown in the torch’s light. “I know you’re technically an intern, but we at Rocket Industries believe that we function best as a cohesive unit, each individual man part of a greater whole. These outfits are mandatory, so we’ll need you to wear this.”

“Oh,” Green said, taking the outfit. “Heh, not sure if black and red is my color.”

“My dear Green.” A mysterious light shone in James’ eyes. A look of...hunger. “If Rocket Industries grows and expands under our leader’s shining example, black and red will be the world’s colors.”

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red's Team As of This Chapter
> 
>  
> 
> Pokemon Trainer: Red  
> Level: Beginner  
> Badges: None  
> Deaths: 0
> 
> Team:  
> Rocket the Pikachu: Level 7  
> Jackie the Mankey: Level 3


	7. A Lesson in Defeat

-

 

Letting out a shriek of excitement, Jackie the Mankey lunged at a cluster of bug types minding their own business, swiping and kicking relentlessly. Recognizing the massive power gap, the Weedles didn’t even bother trying to fight back, instead running as fast as their stubby little legs could carry them. Hooting, Jackie pursued.

“Woo!” Red said, pumping a fist as he watched his first capture get to work. “Rip up those bugs! Chase them down! Being a trainer is awesome!”

“Well, yeah…” the Caterpie said from her position on Red’s right shoulder, opposite Rocket. “But um...he’s kind of killing all my friends and family.”

“Don’t worry, Lucina!” Red said. “You have a new family now!”

“Word to the wise, doll,” Rocket said under his breath, so that only Lucina the Caterpie could hear him. “Get out of here while you still can.”

“What was that, Rocket?” Red asked, curious.

“I said, can we get out of here while we still can?” Rocket snapped. “Sweet, merciful Mew, I hate this place.”

“What’s with you and Viridian anyway?” Red asked. “We barely did anything here. I mean, I’d be more upset if we weren’t coming back this way, but-”

“Wait.” Rocket hopped off Red’s shoulders and turned to face him. “We’re going back?”

“Well, duh,” Red said, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, the gym leader’s not going to be gone forever, is he? Viridian gym’s still the closest one to Pewter.”

“W-wait, you can’t fight Giovanni!” Caterpie said. “He’ll eat us alive!”

“Pardon?”

“Red, Giovanni is the most powerful and most ruthless gym leader in Kanto,” Rocket said. “He’s built up a horrible reputation.”

“R-really?” Red whispered.

“Stop getting excited!” Rocket shouted. “More Pokemon have died in his gym than the others put together. I want to adventure with you, Kid, but if Giovanni’s on the menu, count me out!”

“All right, all right, I get it,” Red said with a sigh. “It sounds like he’ll be awesome to fight, but like...I don’t want you guys to die or anything.”

“Gee, thanks for the concern,” Rocket drawled. “I feel so loved.”

“....You guys are gonna be the death of me, huh,” Lucina said with a little sigh.

“Hey guys!” Jackie sprinted out, covered in blood that wasn’t necessarily hers. “I found a trainer!’

“My first trainer battle!” Red said, doing a little dance. “C’mon, guys!”

-

“Oh,” Red said, deflating. “It’s just you.”

“Trust me, the feeling is mutual,” Blue Oak said with a chuckle. The trainer was leaning back against a tree, eyeing his new rival and his Pokemon with amusement. “I see you’ve been busy, huh.”

“Busy preparing to kick your ass!” Red shouted. “Blue, I challenge you to a battle.”

“I’m not here to battle,” Blue said. “I’m here to fill up my Pokedex. Supposedly Pikachu live here.”

“Oh they do?” Jackie said, nudging Rocket. “Maybe we can meet your family, dude!”

“Not all Pikachu know each other, Jackie,” Rocket said, gritting his teeth.

“Nah man, official rules state that when challenged to a battle, trainers must accept it!” Red said, reading from his Pokedex. “If not you’ll be fined!”

“Of course that’s the one thing about Pokemon you actually remember,” Blue said, shaking his head and smirking. “All right, Ashy-boy, I’ll humor you.”

“Stop calling me that!” Red snapped. “Lucina, let’s kick some ass!”

The Caterpie slowly crawled off Red’s shoulder, and dropped onto to the grass. She looked up at Blue and blinked.

“Heh, Hawkeye, you’re up!” Blue said, tossing a Pokeball from his belt. A burst of light and the Spearow took to the sky, letting out a war-cry. Lucina’s eyes bulged in horror.

“We can take him, Lucina!” Red said.

“Are...are you serious?” Blue asked in disbelief.

“String shot!” Red shouted. Lucina closed her eyes in resignation, before shooting off a string that Hawkeye dodged with ease.

“Peck attack!” Blue snapped. “Try not to murder the poor thing.”

Hawkeye dove down, shooting towards Lucina, who shrieked and sprinted in the opposite direction.

“Crap, I don’t like that look in his eye,” Red muttered as the Spearow licked its lips. “Uh...Lucina, return!”

A split second before the Spearow could make contact with the fleeing Caterpie she disappeared in the ball. Smirking at his victory, Hawkeye fell back and flew alongside his trainer, who gave him a nod of respect.

“Did you even train the bug?” Blue drawled. “You know you can’t just send it out and expect it to excel right away.”

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” Red shouted. “Rocket, you’re up!”

The Pikachu nodded, sprinting onto the field, his cheeks sparkling with electricity.

“You’re gonna pay for it now!” Red said. “Rocket, thundershock!”

Rocket let out a shout, shooting a bolt of lightning out of his cheeks that Hawkeye swooped to the left to avoid.

“Hawkeye, return!” Blue shouted, and the Spearow disappeared in a red light.

“Use another-huh?” Red blinked. “What gives, Blue? Your Spearow never took a single hit.”

“The match-up’s too unfavorable. All that I’m doing by keeping Hawkeye in is risking him getting hurt badly,” Blue said. “Know your limitations or you’ll only beat yourself.”

“Well, it’s your loss,” Red said. “And I have two Pokemon at full health remaining.”

“Good, I was getting bored anyway,” Blue said, winking. “Princess, it’s up to you.”

He tossed his remaining Pokeball, and Eevee burst out, standing proudly on her feet.

“You named her ‘Princess’?’ Red snorted. “Lame.”

“A princess of battle,” Blue countered. “Use tackle.”

“Rocket, use thundershock!” Red shot back.

The Pikachu launched another blast of lightning, but Princess was quicker than before. Hopping over the electric attack with ease, she slammed into Rocket, who let out a wail as he crashed to the ground.

“Damn it, thundershock!” Red snapped. “Don’t let up.”

“Back out and gain some distance!” Blue called.

Princess danced out of the way of Rocket’s next thundershock, before tackling him again. Rocket stumbled, firing another blast, but Eevee rolled to avoid it with ease, and the lightning crackled past her.

“Your Pikachu’s movements are telegraphed, and there’s too much pause between his attacks,” Blue said. “If this keeps up, you’re gonna lose. Just tellin’ ya.”

“I don’t need advice!” Red shouted. “Rocket, tag out! Jackie, up to bat!”

Princess retreated immediately, jogging back to Blues’ side, while Rocket stumbled back to his own trainer with a few deep wheezes. Jackie grinned and sprinted forward, raising a hand to high five him, but Rocket was dazed and Jackie merely slapped him in the face.

“Wh-whoops!” Jackie whispered as Rocket moaned. “Sorry about that.”

“We have type advantage this time, Blue,” Red said, tipping his hat, and Jackie crouched into an aggressive stance. “You gonna call back your Eevee like you did your Spearow?”

Blue sized up the Monkey, fingering the jewel hanging down from his necklace. He nodded after a moment.

“Nah, we can take her. Tackle!”

“Karate Chop!” Red snapped back, and both Pokemon lunged forward. Princess tensed, like she was going to pounce, but Jackie was faster, and landed a vicious chop on her head, following up with a kick that sent her rolling away.

Princess hissed as she pulled out of her roll in a slide, gritting her teeth. Jackie giggled at the edge she had gained.

“You alright, Princess?” Blue asked in concern, before grinning at her nod. “Good, let’s change up our strategy.”

“Keep the momentum going and take her down!” Red cried, drunk on the advantage he had gained.

Jackie jumped, her hands outstretched, but instead of meeting her Princess stood still, only moving to dodge the monkey’s strike. Letting out a shout of anger, Jackie pressed her hard, and it was all the Eevee could do to dodge her repeated blows.

“Good, now sand attack!” Blue shouted. Princess ducked under one of Jackie’s punches and jumped back up with a wicked grin. Kicking up dust, she aimed it at Jackie’s face, who screeched in pain as it went directly in her eyes.

“Got her,” Blue said. 

He was right. Though Jackie was still physically capable and angrier by the second, all that rage was going to waste when she couldn’t see her opponent. She struck out blindly with her limbs, while Eevee kept out of her range.

“Dammit, Jackie! Use your ears instead of your eyes! Red shouted. “She’s making a fool out of you!”

At that, Jackie let out a roar, and lunged….right into a tree? Banging into it, she stumbled back, before shrieking in anger and digging into the bark relentlessly, all while Princess stood harmlessly to the side, snickering.

“It’s over, Red,” Blue said. “Mankeys are downright rabid when they’re worked up into a rage, and you’ve done nothing to improve her temperament. Call her back before she hurts herself.”

“F-fine!” Red shouted, recalling Jackie (who was now banging her head against the tree). “Damn it….I was supposed to beat you!”

“You weren’t supposed to do anything, Red,” Blue said, rolling his eyes and recalling Princess. “I don’t know where your swelled head even comes from, but it’s starting to hurt you. Simply put, I won because I’m a better trainer.”

Red sat down and put his head in his hands.

“Oh shit,” Blue said, gaping. “Are you crying?”

“N-no I’m not!” Red whimpered. “I-I don’t even like Pokemon anyway, you big asshole!”

Blue snorted, walking over to the moping trainer and crouching down beside him. “Look, if it helps you feel better, you’re doing a lot better than I initially expected you to.”

“R-really?” Red said, sniffing.

“Yeah, Idiot,” Blue said, punching him on the shoulder. “You managed to catch Pokemon by yourself, they listen to you, and you knew when to call it quits. Hell, you actually gave them acceptable nicknames. Remember that Charizard Gramps brought in last semester? The one you tried to name ‘Skullfuck’. Remember how he tried to eat you?”

“Heh, yeah,” Red chuckled. “Oak had to buy me new clothes after that.”

“You’re improving, and it’s undeniable, but that doesn’t mean you should ever stop improving,” Blue said. “You’re not at my level and hey, who is? But maybe one day you’ll get close.”

“Yeah right!” Red said, fire igniting in his eyes once more. “I’m going to destroy you next time we fight.”

“Then I look forward to the challenge,” Blue said. “Steady on, Red.”

“Well, thank you, man,” Red said, chuckling. “I uh….I really needed that.”

Blue grinned and held out a hand.

“Huh?” Red asked.

“C’mon dude, I won the match, didn’t I?” Blue smirked. “Pay up.”

-

“Whew,” Miguel said, taking off his glasses and dabbing at his sweaty face. “I think I need to take a break. Sorta lost track of the time. Green, water bottle!”

Green giggled. “Deploying water bottle!”

She tossed the bottle, and Miguel caught it with a grin of thanks. Green watched in amazement while he downed it one go, dripping some on his dirty lab coat.

“Whoa,” Green said, gaping at him. “That was incredible.”

Miguel chuckled. “I may be a bit dehydrated.”

Miguel had spent the day at this one site, first giving Green a quick explanation of how each of his tools worked, but then spending hours on end in his work while Green hurriedly took care of the needs he couldn’t be bothered to handle on his own. Green could see why the archaeologist required someone to look after him. 

“Maybe you should take a break for the day,” Green said. “Find anything interesting?”

Miguel let out a disappointed click of his tongue and shook his head. “Well, only-holy shit.”

“Huh?” Green asked, raising an eyebrow. “Aww man, are you having a stroke? Again?”

“Look behind you,” Miguel whispered, pointing with a finger. Green turned, looking at the pudgy, pink Pokemon peering at them with wide eyes.

“A Clefairy,” Miguel said, shaking his head. “In all my time working here, I’ve never even caught a glimpse of one!”

“Mine, mine, mine, mine!” Green shouted, hurling the Pokeball on her belt, releasing Gerald. “Go kick its ass!”

The Clefairy shrieked and hauled tail down one of the passageways, the Nidoran hot on her trail. Green sprinted after them, shouting about ‘claiming her destiny’.

Miguel managed two steps before giving up, sitting down on a rock. “Okay, there’s no way I’m running after them, I’ll actually have a stroke.”

-

The Clefairy yelped as Gerald’s feet slammed into her behind, and she face-planted on the cool cavern floor, the Nidoran grinning as he pinned her down. He glanced up at a very surprised looking woman, who stumbled back.

Green jogged over a second later. “Awesome job, Gerald. You’ll be eating good tonight!”

She glanced up at the disgruntled woman who was now glaring at her. “Er...sorry about that.”

The woman had long, hot pink, coiffed hair that seemed to defy gravity itself in how it pointed back. Green would have to ask what products she used. She was dressed in the same white outfit as James, which clashed pretty impressively with Green’s own black Rocket getup.

“Who are you, one of Miguels'?” The woman, a good foot and half taller than her, snapped. “Why are you lollygagging about?”

“You must be officer Jessie, ma’am!” Green said, quickly performing the same salute that she had seen many of the other members of Rocket Industries give James. “I’m actually just an intern working under Miguel.”

“Ah,” Jessie said, realization dawning on her features. “You're an applicant of the trainer program we instated.” She managed a wide, fake grin that Green could tell was forced. “Excellent work catching something as rare as a Clefairy.”

The Clefairy whimpered from where it was still pressed to the ground. Gerald gave it a kick for good measure.

“Thank you, ma’am!” Green said. It was so odd. James was easy to form a familiar relationship with, but talking to Jessie was like talking like a drill sergeant. Green knew which she preferred. “I’m Green, from Pallet Town.”

“Ah, that’s where the old professor lives, yes?” Jessie said. “I trust you know him well?”

“Well he was my teacher, and he sent me off on my journey with a Pokedex,” Green said, smiling fondly. “So yes, we were very close.”

“You know, the old professor used to be quite involved with our organization,” Jessie said with a sad sigh. “It’s a shame that’s no longer the case. We could certainly use his keen mind.”

“Well, if you’d like to learn more about him, his grandson started his own Pokemon journey a few days ago as well,” Green said. “He’s even taking on the league challenge. So if you’d ever like to interview him….”

“Oh, wonderful!” Jessie said, forming a far more genuine, yet slightly unsettling smile. “Yes, we’d love to know how the old man is doing!”

“Well, er...I better get back to Miguel,” Green said. “So sorry to bother you. Er...if I may ask, what are you working on at the lower levels?”

“We’re doing research on the properties of moon stones,” Jessie said, but Green felt the temperature of the room drop. “Something you need not concern yourself with. It is about time you got to Miguel, yes? Catch your Pokemon and get going.”

“Right, of course,” Green said, tossing a Pokeball down to the feebly stirring Clefairy. As the ball shook, Jessie turned and left, holding a walkie talkie to her ear and barking orders. The ball stopped, and Green smiled at her very first capture.

“Think I’ll name you Luna,” Green said with a small smile. She leaned down to scratch Gerald behind the ear, and the Nidoran smiled goofily.

She wasn’t an idiot, whatever Rocket Industries was doing there, it likely was probably pretty shady, or at the very least something they didn't want publicized. She knew Professor Oak wasn’t exactly a fan of their methods, though he never elaborated as to what caused the decay in his relationship with the company.

Still...James and Miguel had done a lot for her, and in their eyes she could see a genuine eagerness and love for their work. They certainly seemed to have good intentions.

She glanced at Gerald trotting by her side. Thanks to Rocket Industries, she had met the little Nidoran, who was proving to be quite a capable battler. The organizatio hnelped her fulfill her dream, and had treated her with nothing but respect and kindness…

...so if she was asked to cast a blind eye in return, she could do that.

-

“Okay, this was fun when I was at full health and we first entered the forest…” Jackie moaned, slapping away a Caterpie when it lunged at her. “But it’s been hours. Where is the damn exit?”

“You’re telling me,” Red said. He was using Lucina, who had long since evolved into the cocoon that was Metapod, as a club, smacking away the bug types that tried to jump at him.

“You know, this is really rude and demeaning,” Lucina said, casting angry eye back at Red. “Just because I can’t really stop you using me like a baseball bat does not mean it’s consensual.” 

“Less whining, more hardening!” Red snapped, before dropping her in exhaustion. “M-maybe...maybe we should stop for the night.”

“No!” Rocket, who had been leading the pack, sprinted back to Red in indignation, leaving Jackie alone to fight off the never-ending hordes of bugs. “We need to get out of here tonight!”

“Rocket, why?” Lucina asked. “We’re getting weaker over time, and the longer we stay exposed like this the higher the risk of one of us getting seriously hurt!”

“Besides, I can barely see a foot in front of us,” Red said. “She’s right, Rocket. It’s too dangerous.”

“I-I can light up a path!” Rocket protested. “C’mon, we can do this!”

“Seriously, what is it with you and this forest?” Red asked. “You’ve been rushing us through here the entire time!”

“I...I just hate bug types, man,” Rocket said, shifting uncomfortably. “And look, who knows what might-”

“AHHHHH!”

“Jackie!” Red cried, sprinting forwards. The Mankey was clutching her arm and whimpering in pain. Judging by the snickering Weedle with blood dripping down its stinger, it had managed a lucky venomous strike.

“Throw me!” Lucina shouted, and Red nodded, throwing her like a football. She slammed into the Weedle, knocking it out instantly.

“Aaaand now we’re surrounded,” Rocket growled, watching the bug type leer at them from the trees and bushes, now even bolder upon sensing victory. “Shit.”

“Not to worry, Rocket, I have an idea,” Red said with a wicked grin. “Lucina, shoot some string at me!”

The Metapod jerked up, shooting a thread of webbing that Red caught. Yanking her towards him, Red spun Lucina around like a pair of nun-chucks, getting into a fighting stance.

“Ever notice how you come across someone once in a while that you shouldn’t have effed with? Well that’s me!” Red said, before he accidentally slammed Lucina against his head and he collapsed.

“Yeah, that’s about right,” Rocket said with a sigh.

“Owww, god, it’s so painful!” Jackie moaned, clutching her arm. “I’d vomit, but I don’t even have a mouth!”

“Uh...Rocket….I think it may be up to you,” Lucina said to the Pikachu, who groaned.

“Well, nothing else for it,” Rocket grumbled. “Better seeing them than dying I guess.”

With a shout of effort, Rocket launched a thundershock in the air, lighting up the night. The move seemed to confuse the bug types, but after a moment they lunged at the opening the Pikachu had given them.

“Rocket, what the hell was that for?” Red screamed.

“Get down!” Rocket roared in response.

Red felt a hum in the air, and he pounced on Jackie, shielding her from the lightning that lit up the night once more, scattering the bugs attacking them. Loud cries of “pika!” shouted in unison as the electric mice jumped from tree to tree, all firing off attacks that scorched the earth around the crouching Red and his Pokemon. By the time they let up, no evidence stood that the bugs had ever been there. Red and his Pokemon rose to face the dozens of Pikachu now staring at them from the trees, their red cheeks glowing from the sparkling electricity.

“Um...Rocket, what?” Red asked.

“Yeah, we have a place to crash for the night,” Rocket said, head in his hands. “Meet my family, Red.”

-


	8. Meeting The Parents!

-

“Susan, use double kick!”

The Nidorina, a blue, quadruped Pokemon with spikes that lined her back and vicious red eyes, sprinted across the rocky floor that was the Pewter city gym, beelining towards a massive Pokemon resembling rocks that had formed into a towering snake, complete with a sharp horn, narrowed eyes, a myriad of battle scars.  
The trainer calling out the order was a stout man with clothes that befit a hiker, with boots, worn pants, a dusty jacket, and a bucket hat to even further exercise the point of his appearance. He sported a scraggly beard and his eyes twinkled in contrast to his gruff appearance. Despite the intensity of what one would expect from a gym battle, he was wearing a grin, and he was practically trembling with excitement.

The trainer he was battling couldn’t be more different. For one, he certainly wasn’t smiling. Where the hiker was vast, he was lean and muscular, as evidenced by his bare, ripped chest. The hiker was excited and passionate and always moving, yet this trainer stood firm and resolute, like the very rocks he kept proudly in his gym. His hair was a shock of brown, and his eyes were unfailingly narrowed.

He was Brock, the Pewter City gym leader, one of the most capable trainers in all of the Kanto region.

“Samson, rock tomb!” He called, his arms folded. Samson, an Onix that was so tall he nearly bumped the ceiling, let out a roar that shook the entire gym. Opening his mouth and jutting forward, he sent a volley of rocks hurtling toward the approaching Nidorina.

“Dammit, push through, Susan!” The hiker cried, looking on in horror at the sheer strength of the attack.

With a shriek of effort, the Nidorina kicked, crushed, and dodged the falling rocks, and for a few moments she could fight against Brock’s overwhelming offensive, but it wasn’t for long, and she was pulled down under the weight of a few particularly large boulders.

The hiker cursed as Samson loomed over the rocks that now trapped Susan, realizing that his opponent had succeeded at more than merely landing a hit. “GET OUT OF THERE!”

“Tackle,” Brock said, and Samson pounced. Just as Susan pushed away one of the rocks trapping her, the Onix crashed into her, dragging the Nidorina with him as he burrowed into the ground. After a few excruciating moments for the hiker, in which he tried desperately and fruitlessly to order Susan to fight, Samson burst out of the ground, carrying his unconscious opponent with his tail. The hiker let out a sigh and returned her to her Pokeball.

“All right, all right!” The hiker said, raising his hands in surrender. “I know when to quit.”

A small smile played on Brock’s lips, and he moved to stroke Samson’s back in thanks. “You know, I am aware you have two other Pokemon, Kenny. I still don’t understand why you don’t use a full team.”

“Bah, we both know it’d be pointless,” Kenny snorted. “And I’m not one to show my entire hand. But, wow, that little Onix of yours really grew up, eh?”

“First ever battle as an official gym Pokemon,” Brock confirmed. “He did well. Goliath will be proud.”

“HA! Tell the big brute I said hello!” Kenny chuckled. “So, I was the first trainer of the season to battle you again, eh?”

“Of course,” Brock said, recalling Samson into his Pokeball. “You’ve been my first challenger for eight years, I’d never not book you first.”

“Well, I’m thinking this one might be the last,” Kenny said, and the two made their way out of the gym and into the bright Pewter sunlight. “I started out getting my ass kicked by your star Pokemon, and now I’m getting my ass kicked by his son. I’ve been at it too long.”

“Well, what’ll you do now?” Brock asked. “Retire?”

“I can’t help it, Brock. This passion I have for watching Pokemon battles-even if I’m not cut out for it anymore as a trainer, I want to help someone along on their journey. Someone, a bit younger than me mind you, that can really follow it through and make it to the league.”

“Well, if there’s someone likely to follow through, it’ll be Blue Oak,” Brock said. “Obviously he’s connected to a Dragonite of a man, and his exam scores were damn near record breaking. Blue’s going far, and I’m having a match with him in three days.”

“Bah, we all know that kid’s going somewhere,” Kenny said. “I’m talking about someone like me. Someone who’s gotta work for it. Someone I can help discover their potential. I don’t want to be a glorified hype man for a prodigy.”

 

“Fair enough,” Brock said. “So you’ll be sticking around for my early season match-ups? May be dull, most will be pretty green.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Kenny said with a chuckle. “What can I expect for dinner tonight? What are the kids demanding this time?”

Brock clenched a fist. “They just want to eat out! Kids never appreciate home cooked meals! It’s so disrespectful to the art!”

“Hah!” Kenny clapped as he doubled over, laughing at his old friends’ reaction. “I’ll enjoy the double cheeseburger, then.”

-

The home of the Pikachus were, without exaggeration, a paradise, quite a long way away from the main Viridian Forest pathway. They lived in actual tree houses that were well hidden, covered by vines and branches so that curious travelers would merely see ordinary foliage. In truth there was a community of the Pikachu, who spend their days foraging for fruit and getting into sparring matches with one another, as evidenced by the scorch marks everywhere. 

“So, you have to tell us the story of how you two met!” A Pikachu, Rocket’s mother, gushed, as they sat down the little cabin that the Pikachus had been kind enough to allow Red and his team to crash at. Jackie had been taken away to be treated by some of the clan’s doctors, which left Red, Lucina, and a morbidly embarrassed Rocket to talk with the Pikachu’s parents. “It’s so rare that a human is granted the honor of speaking with us, so it must be quite a good one!”

“Oh, haha, not really!” Red said, giggling. “Rocket just made a mis-”

“-Red here is a conservationist!” Rocket interrupted, zapping the trainer with his tail and cutting him off. “Savior of the planet, builder of homes for displaced Pokemon, bane of poachers, etc. He’s uh….very honorable.”

 

“And the conservationist wants to be a Pokemon trainer?” Rocket's dad, an older, skinnier Pikachu said in disbelief. “Purveyor of dog fights that could potentially lead to our deaths?”

“Uhh….he’s more of a ‘natural disaster’ kind of guy,” Rocket said, in an attempt to save face. “But he loves being one with Pokemon, and he’s an excellent battler. We haven’t lost a fight yet!”

Lucina, still not understanding what exactly was going on with the Pikachu, cut in. “Rocket, we’ve never even won a-” 

“Read the room!” Rocket hissed, turning around to snarl at the Metapod. His parents exchanged a glance and his mom began to giggle a little, while his dad padded over to the trainer Rocket was so eagerly serenading. 

“Rocket, why don’t you go on a walk and catch up with your mother,” Rocket’s father said, gesturing with his tail to the proverbial door. “I’m going to have the ‘talk’ with this trainer of yours.”

Rocket threw an alarmed look to Red. “I uh... I think I’ll stick around here actually.”

“Oh, they’ll be fine, your father’s all talk.” His mother moved over to stroke the back of his head. “Besides, it’s been so long I just want to know if you’ve been doing well.” 

Rocket’s guarded expression softened at his mother’s smile, and he nodded. “All right. Red….you good?”

“Yeah, dude!” Red said, giving a thumbs’ up. “Your parents are awesome. Can we order a pizza?”

“Okay, I know we’re more sentient than we let on,” Rocket said, turning to leave with his mother. “But we’re still Pokemon.”

“What’s pizza?” Lucina whispered.

-

Rocket’s mother knew him well, and it was why she was leading them down his favorite trail down Viridian Forest, a small, narrow pass along a sizable river. Typically when one walked through Viridian Forest they were plagued by the buzzes and cries of bug Pokemon, but the river’s roar drowned everything out. It was really the one thing he missed about the forest during his journey. 

“So wait?” Rocket’s mom said. “All they had to do to avoid having their faces melted is not look directly at the arc of the covenant? If that was inevitable the second they looked at it, would Indiana Jones even need to be in the movie?”

“Uhh….wait, did he?” Rocket said, pausing a moment to think. “Huh, I guess he kinda made everything worse just by helping the Nazis find it. Still a really cool movie, though.”

“I will never understand your fascination for humans,” his mother said, nudging at her son playfully. “What is your new trainer name now? Missile?”

“Aww….that sounds so much cooler!” Rocket shouted, snapping a finger. “I’m just Rocket.”

“Trust me, they’re both the same to me,” his mother said, rolling her eyes and chuckling a little at Rocket’s odd behavior.

They walked along the river until it emptied into a small pool, the pool that Rocket always wanted to play in as a child, but couldn’t due to his natural electric powers. Even now he looked at it longingly, but his mother nudged him and they sat down on the grass.

“Rocket, why did you come back?” his mother asked, in that soft yet penetrating way she always did. “Are you staying? Did you rope this “trainer” of yours so you wouldn’t have to feel embarrassed?”

“No,” Rocket said, beginning to rip up the grass in his anxiety until his mother reached down to stop him. “Red really caught me, and I do want to join him on his journey. I feel like I have to.”

“You have to,” Rocket’s mother repeated.

“Mom, I loved living here, but...this life of contentment, of the same systematic routine every damn day…” Rocket let out a shaky sigh. “And we all know I’m the runt of the clan, so I was dredged even deeper in the monotony. I’ve gotten the chance to experience something new, and in my travels I got to see some amazing stuff. I may come back one day, but it’ll be because of the choice I’ve made after seeing a brand new world. I need to have that choice.”

“You said as much the first time you left,” Rocket’s mother said. “And I understand. What I don’t get, however, is why, two years later, you’ve returned as a trainers’ Pokemon. Why would you risk yourself like this?”

“Yeah, this uh….this was all an accident,” Rocket said, his ears drooping sheepishly. “But still, he’s my lens into the human world! And I’m getting way tougher.”

“You know I support you, er….Rocket,” his mother winced as she said it, as if the word burned her tongue. “But couldn’t you find another trainer? This one seems…..”

“Questionable?” Rocket asked.

“Dumb as a sack of bricks,” his mother finished. “I’ve seen enough battles from the bug catchers in this forest to know that a Pokemons’ life is in the hands of its trainer. You know how our clan feels about trainers, how we condemn them and shy away from the rest of the world, and yet you want to join this novice….?”

“Hey, I honestly believe he has potential,” Rocket said. “When you guys fried those bugs it was his reflex to shield his Mankey with his body. He’s got it where it counts, and it’s something I’ve learned during our time together.”

“All right, I trust you,” she gave Rocket a kiss on the cheek. “But if something happens, I want you out of there, okay?”

“Yes, mom,” Rocket said, chuckling. “I’m not going to get myself killed out there.”

 

-

 

“These are important questions you need to answer! Will you take care of him, provide for him? And don’t you dare even consider keeping him out too late!” Rocket’s dad was pacing back and forth, while Red and his two Pokemon sat on his makeshift bed and listened to him ramble. “You better have the best of intentions, young man. I expect you to treat my son with respect and love.”

“Okay, sorry to interrupt,” Red said, flinching when the old Pikachu glared at him. “But, I want to make it clear that I’m training your son and taking him on my Pokemon journey, not marrying him.”

“Hey, to speak in my trainers’ defense, he’d never allow us to get hurt,” Jackie said, before she accidentally moved her injured shoulder and hissed in pain. She had been escorted to the cabin after having her arm bandaged.

“Riiiight,” Rocket’s father said, before shaking his attention from the Mankey to the fidgety trainer. “You better know what you’re doing out there, son.”

“Of course I know what I’m doing,” Red said, offended. “It’s been ages since our journey started, and we’ve had no trouble at all in our journey thus far.”

“Yes, and when you were nearly mauled by bug types, it was rehearsed.” The Pikachu’s ears drooped. “Look, my son isn’t the best fighter. And in fact, you’ll find far better combatants here in our clan. What if we made a deal? Our clan’s best fighter can join you so our son doesn’t have to be put at risk.”

Red thought for a moment, and for a split second, he was tempted. But his hesitation did not last longer than a few moments. “Sir, that would be entirely up to your son. He may not be the most powerful Pikachu in the world, but without him I wouldn’t even be on my journey in the first place. That means so much more to me than strength. So, as long as he’ll have me, I’ll have him. We started this journey together, and we’ll finish it together too.”

“I see,” Rocket’s dad said, and the old Pikachu took a moment to size up the trainer, maybe for the first time since they’d met. After a moment he nodded.

“Well, you certainly seem to care about him. That and keeping him safe is all I can ask of you. Have a nice night.” The Pikachu padded out, leaving Red, Lucina, and Jackie speechless in his wake.

“Okay, I know we live in a world with horrifying monsters,” Red said, rubbing the bridge of his nose and shuddering a little. “But there’s nothing scarier than parents.”

“Oh, agreed,” Lucina said, her stiff body managing to tremble a little.

“Amen,” Jackie said, nodding her head fiercely.

“But, was I right not to give him an out?” Red asked, flopping on his makeshift bed, which, considering it was made of bark with a blanket of leaves, was surprisingly comfortable. “I don’t want to get him hurt, and he’s already been so helpful as is….”

“You made the right call!” Jackie chirped, giving her trainer a little salute. “I’ve only known you for a day and a half, but I can already tell how close the bond between you two is. I know he’s just as eager to be here as the rest of us!”

“Speak for yourself,” Lucina drawled. “Red, you have no reason to feel guilty either way, because you gave him a choice. We’ll see how much he wants to journey with us tomorrow.”

“I guess you’re right,” Red said with a little yawn. “Thanks, girls. Uh….you two want to travel with me, right?”

“Are you kidding? This so beats being stuck by myself outside Viridian,” Jackie said, hopping on the bed to snuggle with her trainer. Red grinned and stroked her fur as she clung to him like, well… a monkey.

“Look, I won’t deny it; I hate all the fighting you make me do,” Lucina said, hopping up to his other side. “But, look at me now? I may actually end up a Butterfree under your guidance, and the ability to fly….that’s something worth all of this, and I’ll be forever grateful if you get me there.”

She wasn’t as affectionate nor as clingy as Jackie, but she sidled up to Red and leaned against his other arm. Settling down, Red pulled them both close.

“Thank, ladies,” Red said. “Glad to know we’re all in this together. Because the day will come soon when we’re all over the news, and tales about our exploits reach as far as Cinnabar.”

“Shhh…” Lucina mumbled. “I’m trying to sleep.”

-

The next morning, the Pikachus took Red to that same spring Rocket loved, and he was quick to strip off his clothes and splash around with Jackie, while Rocket and Lucina laid lazily on the ground to watch them.

“Do you ever take off that hat?” Rocket asked.

“Hey, I like this hat!” Red said, patting it. “It helps me stay close to my mentor.”

“And that would be?” Rocket asked.

“The legendary Red, of course!” Red said. “The man who obliterated his enemies with his trusty Charizard, all without uttering a single word. He’s what I aspire to be.”

“Well, you could get the ‘without uttering a single word’ thing down now!” Lucina said with mock enthusiasm. “I’m trying to nap.”

“You’re always trying to nap,” Red said, giving her an accusatory glare.

“Because I’m a cocoon!” The Metapod cried. “We’re supposed to get a lot of rest, not be used to bludgeon defenseless Pidgeys.”

“I apologized for that-AUGH!” Red cried as Jackie sent a particularly powerful wave slapping against his back, soaking his hat. 

“Sneak attack!” Jackie giggled.

“That’s it, you’re gonna get it,” Red growled, lunging for the monkey, but she flipped out of his reach and kicked him down into the water, giggling maniacally as she pinned him beneath the rippling waves, to Rocket and Lucina’s chagrin.

“Come on, Rocket,” Jackie said, pushing Red’s head below the water, ignoring the bubbles he was emitting. “The water is great!”

“Yeah!” Red gasped as he briefly managed to push himself out of her grip with a gasp. “We’re having the time of our lives!”

“As fun as joining Jackie in trying to drown you would be.” Rocket winced as Jackie pushed her trainers’ head under the water again. “I get in there, we’re all going to die.”

“Buzz-BLUB-BLUB-BLUB-kill….” Red managed to force out in between attempts to escape his Mankey’s hold.. 

“C’mon, Rocket, we can take it!” Jackie said. “Easily.”

“No you can’t,” Rocket’s father drawled as he and Rocket’s mother walked over to where the little party was playing. “You’ll both be fried and stink up the forest. But still, go ahead and try; it’d make my day a little brighter.”

“Now, dear,” Rocket’s mother chided, slapping him with her tail. “Please don’t mind him, he just hasn’t had his coffee this morning.”

“Wait.” Jackie’s grip loosened, and Red managed to splash out of the water and shake out the droplets out of his hair. He jammed his now thoroughly soaked cap on his head. “Pokemon drink coffee?”

“Of course we drink coffee, it’s coffee,” Rocket’s father said, shaking his head at Red’s ignorance. “Now get the hell outta there so I can give you the directions out of this damn forest.”

“Hold on, Sir, I have a question for your son,” Red said, and Rocket’s ears perked up. The trainer knelt down so he was eye level with the Pikachu.

“I asked the girls this question and now I’m going to ask you,” Red said, staring at his first Pokemon. “I see you have a life here, and it’s not something I ever considered when I thought about Pokemon. Hell, it’s probably why they hated me when I was a kid. You have lovely parents and a lovely clan, and by asking you to journey with me I’m asking for you to abandon that and potentially get yourself hurt. So I’m not not going expect you to leave. Jackie, Lucina, and I are heading to Pewter, but it’s entirely up to-”

“Say no more, kid,” Rocket said, bopping him on the head with his signature smirk. “We have a deal, remember? I get you to a place where you can continue your journey without me, and then I get to watch the movie of my dreams.”

Rocket’s parents shared a small, bittersweet smile as Rocket scurried up Red’s chest. “You two be safe,” Rocket’s mother said.

“Ahhh yeah, I missed this,” Rocket said, settling into his favorite spot on Red’s shoulder. “Together we’re going far, Red. Onward?”

“Okay, I hate to ruin the moment.” Red winced as the Pikachu's claws scratched his bare skin. “But you need to get down so I can put on clothes.”

“You really do suck the fun out of everything,” Rocket said with a sad little sigh, hopping down again.

Rocket’s father cleared his throat, getting Red’s attention as the young trainer pulled on his pants. “You’ll want to keep the sun on your left shoulder. When you hit Scyther’s rock, my son will know where to go from there.”

“Thank you, sir!” Red said, as his shirt went over his shoulders. “Ready to get going, guys?”

“You’re gonna catch a cold, dude,” Rocket said with a little sigh as Red returned Jackie and Lucina to their Pokeballs. “Maybe dry your hair?”

“Nonsense!” Red said, marching forward in a strut, a silent challenge to anyone in the forest. “I never get sick!”  
-

Professor Samuel Oak leaned back in his chair, grimacing at the unread emails sent from his old ‘friend’, Petrel. He was getting tired of deleting them.

Petrel, an oily, calculating snake of a man had been promoted around the time Oak had announced that he was cutting ties with Rocket Industries. His appearance was well kept, but his mannerisms were as greasy as could be. In truth, Rocket Industries employing men like him were what alienated the old professor from the company, and he had been happy to escape their shady business practices.

Unfortunately, now they’d been trying to drag him back in again.

The phone call that interrupted his thoughts was a welcome distraction, and he picked it up with an eagerness he certainly would not have otherwise. 

“This is Samuel Oak speaking. How may I help you?”

“I always did prefer your other name. Much more pizzazz, yes? I’ll admit I was quite a fan of yours back in your battling days, indeed!!”

Any eagerness Oak had at the prospect of this conversation popped like a balloon. His easy smile became fixed. “Officer Looker.”

“Ah, you are not happy to hear from me.”

“Well, I won’t deny that you tend to preface catastrophe,” Oak said, debating whether he should hang up now. Perhaps this conversation wouldn’t be too painful, as long as the officer didn’t want to talk about-

“Sonezaki spilled the beans. Er….that is the expression, yes?”

“So you finally managed to pressure Bill into talking,” Oak said, feeling a sort of calm wash over him at the thought. “What did you learn?”

“Rocket Industries’ involvement in the war, and the monster you created to end it,” the voice replied, without any hesitation at all. Oak struggled to keep his breath in control. “It’s impressive how you managed to keep a being capable of such destruction hidden for so long.”

“I was not involved in project 2.0’s creation,” Professor Oak snapped. “I spearheaded the initial research team studying the creature Rocket cloned it from, but after the initial stages of Kanto’s revolution I was far too busy on the front lines. In fact, I argued against the idea, and was only aware of the progress that had been made on the project when it was unleashed against the Johtians in the Battle of Vermilion.”

“Bill said as much, yes,” Looker replied. “But you were present for Rocket Industries’ conception, and you accepted the ultimatum the monster imposed on you and the few who knew of its existence. Whether you’re a war criminal or not, it is imperative that you divulge anything you can. Bill was quite young at the time so he wasn’t able give us the full story.” 

“I’m not sure what you think my motives were in hiding project 2.0’s existence, but it certainly was not to save my own neck,” Oak said, his hand trembling on the phone. “If you knew what was created and what it is capable of, you would understand that it is far, far beyond us, and we are at its mercy. Do you know why despite losing so many to it, the people of Johto have no idea what hit them? No idea what stole away what should have been an easy victory?”

Officer Looker didn’t respond.

“Because after it struck and obliterated the Johtian offensive, it wiped the minds of every man, woman, and child within thousands of miles. Without wasting a fraction of effort. Then it demanded us its own request, one simple ultimatum to which it would lay waste to Kanto if we denied. All it wanted was to be left alone. And so for twenty years we’ve let it be, to no incident.”

“...You may be willing to give 2.0 it’s peace, but we of the international police are becoming increasingly sure that Rocket Industries does not share those same sentiments. They wear those tacky yet identical outfits, they attack routes and forests in groups, catching massive counts of Pokemon at a time, and as their number grows the crime rate increases as well. They speak of scientifically “progressing”, but they do not progress for progressions’ sake.. There is an obvious endgame to their aspirations, and that endgame involves project 2.0.”

As the man had been talking, Oak was lighting a cigarette, a shame, as he had quit smoking years before. He took a moment to close his eyes and allow the nicotine to sooth him, before he finally gave his response.

“Whether you’re right or not, Rocket Industries is infallible. You have no evidence, and any attempt to speak against them is quickly stomped upon. Your case is hopeless.”

“We’re aware of the influence Rocket has on Kanto, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the by-the-book method won’t get us anywhere,” Looker said. “We need to adapt. And we require your help.”

“Pardon?” Oak asked, and he began to cough at the smoke he had accidentally inhaled.

“Excuse you. You’re necessary, Professor, because Rocket Industries still desires your work. Cooperate with them, and you’ll find yourself privy to their intentions. If necessary, we can tear apart the company from the inside out.” Oak couldn’t help but seethe at this international police officer’s tone. That same tone that many who were in power had. If their good little chess pieces did exactly as they said, they could win the ‘game’.

“No,” Oak said, his jaw set tight. “I’m not going to be used as a tool-not again. And I certainly won’t become caught in a power struggle that could wreak havoc on the region that I love. Find another pawn.”

“It’s a shame…” Looker said. “We have a plan ‘B’, but we really didn’t want to involve your grandson.”

Oak dropped his cigarette. “No….I...you wouldn’t…”

“We don’t have much of a choice, yes?”

“You don’t need to get anyone else involved in this,” Oak said. “There were others with the same knowledge I had. Hell, you’re in contact with Bill. He could-”

“Sonezaki’s been outspoken against Rocket Industries on social media and they’ve slandered him in return. They’re more likely to silence him than recruit him. We’ll give you one more chance to cooperate. Join with us in spying on Rocket Industries or I’ll give your grandson a call right now.”

“H-he won’t listen,” Oak said, trying to hold back from sobbing. “He’s not going to-”

Looker ended the call.

With a shout of rage, Oak threw his telephone across the room and watched in savage satisfaction as it broke apart when it hit a wall. He took several deep breaths before letting out a weak moan, his face falling into his hands.

“Please, Blue, for the love of Mew,” the old man whispered. “Don’t do anything stupid.”


	9. The First Partnership

-

“You’re an idiot.”

“I’m telling you, it’s The BerenSTEIN Bears, Rocket!”

“And I’m telling you, you’re an idiot! It’s BerenSTAIN Bears, and you’re going to look so dumb when you look it up.”

“How would you even know? You can’t read or write, you dumb rodent!”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t understand pronunciation, dipshit!”

Red and Rocket were bickering as usual as they finally began to approach their destination of Pewter, evidenced by the sparser trees and the now rocky and hard terrain. Viridian forest was so lush and full of green, the brown and rough ground almost felt like a wasteland by comparison. Now they were climbing up a particularly steep slope almost comparable to a small mountain, which didn’t exactly improve neither trainer nor Pokemons’ moods.

“Whatever. The second we get to Pewter, I’ll prove you wrong at the Pokemon Center,” Red said, grunting as he pulled himself up a ledge. Rocket jumped off his shoulder to give him a hand, but Red nearly lost his grip when he let out a loud sneeze-right at the Pikachu.

“Oh Arceus….I want to drop you so bad…” Rocket moaned, wiping down his fur with a tail.

“H-hey I’m sorry,” Red said through a few sniffles. “I can’t exactly cover my nose, dangling off a cliff like this.”

“Kid, I told you that you’d catch a cold,” Rocket grumbled, as Red finally managed to pull himself over the ledge and rolled onto his back. “Beginning to realize this is a theme? Me being always right and you being always wrong?”

“S-shut up, I’m a perfect being,” Red said, wiping his nose. Rocket simply rolled his eyes, hopping up on a few of the tall, jagged rocks to get a better view of their surroundings.

“All right, kid, get off your ass. I got some good news,” Rocket said, turning to grin at his trainer. ‘We’re here.”

Forgetting his exhaustion immediately, Red jumped up beside his Pikachu. In the valley below them stood the first sign of human settlement since Viridian City. It was a bit small and very rustic, but at this point after sleeping in the woods, he’d take anything with a clean bed.

“This place sure has a thing for rocks, huh,” Red said, sliding down the slope alongside his Pikachu. “Does every city has a gimmick?”

“Oh like you wouldn’t believe,” Rocket said, shaking his head.

-

The population in Pewter was a bit more scattered than in Viridian, as though there was something the city itself knew that the travelers didn’t. After lunch and a nice, long, satisfying shower at the Pokemon Center, Red and Rocket decided to do a little sightseeing. Still, Red had gotten a bit more used to cities since Viridian, and there didn’t seem much to do if you weren’t interested in archaeology.

“Maybe we could check out the museum,” Red suggested, having spread out a map on an empty bench. “How come no one’s around anyway? It’s a little creepy.”

“It’s gym season, dude,” Rocket said. “No doubt everyone’s watching Brock mop the floor with newbie trainers.”

“Brock?” 

“Regional gym leader,” Rocket explained. “Expert in rock types and he's on the younger side. I’m sure if we used Jackie, we’d-”

“Red!”

Something slammed into Red from behind, causing Red to stumble and Rocket to fly off his shoulders. Two legs locked around his neck and the momentum the mysterious person had gained caused her to swing over his head. The attacker found herself eye to eye with Red, upside down.

Yellow grinned. “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” Red said, grinning as well as he lifted her up from his shoulders and held her up in front of her. “I swear, you get shorter every time I see you.”

“Rude!” Yellow said, sticking out her tongue. “To think I was so excited to see you.”

“Ah, Red!” an older voice said as Red set Yellow down. Professor Oak grinned at a grumbling Rocket and knelt down to scratch him behind his ear. “And hello there, little one.”

“Seriously, Gramps, what are you two doing here?” Red asked. “Is this my welcoming parade?”

“You know I have never met someone with such a measure of self importance in my life,” Oak said, shaking his head in wonder. “In actuality, my grandson’s first gym battle was scheduled for today, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I also believe in firsthand experience for my aspiring trainers. Jack? John? Where are you two? We found Red!”

Two identical young men, both of muscular builds and matching crew cuts, marched over from the shop they had been perusing. Even their grouchy expressions were parallel.

“Oh look, it’s the kid who got to start his journey before us with way worse grades!” John (presumably) snapped. “That’s not fair, right Jack?”

“You’re goddamn right it isn’t fair, John!” Jack (that settles it) snapped. 

“Sweet, merciful, space Jesus, was it really important to introduce these two as characters?” Red asked the author. “All they do is inflate the narrative.”

“Screw you,” the author replied. “It’s a funny bit, and it’s important world building!”

“According to my grandson’s twitter account, he’s ‘mopping the floor’ with the preliminaries,” Oak said, clearing his throat to change the subject from the now shattered fourth wall. “We’d best hurry if we want to make it before his match with Brock.”

“Uggggh, but I hate that guy,” Red said. “I don’t wanna see him be all smug.”

“C’mon Red, I want to hear about your journey!” Yellow said, pointing to the two Pokeballs on his belt. “You look like you’re starting to put a team together, and Rocket looks way stronger?”

A flattered Rocket looked away with an exaggerated smile, mockingly pretending to be embarrassed. Red rolled his eyes at the display.

“Hell yeah, I’m putting a team together,” Red said, gesturing to his Pokeballs. “I caught two Pokemon!”

“Oh?” Oak said, raising an eyebrow. “Blue told me he caught ten different kinds.”

“Oh well, bully for Blue,” Red grumbled.

The Pokemon gym, unlike the rest of the city, was full of cheering residents, eager for a fight. One typically would be concerned enough by the large crowd that they wouldn’t be able to squeeze into the building, but a quick look at Professor Oak’s smiling face was enough for the guards to usher them into the gym.

“I’m not one to exaggerate my achievements, or take advantage of them in social situations,” Oak said lowly to Yellow, who was grinning up at him. “But I won’t deny sometimes it’s just too convenient.”

The group settled into the large crowd gathered around the ring where the preliminaries took place, and Red caught a quick sight of his rival’s signature spiky hair and a Sandshrew bringing down a Rhyhorn. The crowd jeered, and announcer barked that Blue Oak would moving on to a final match with Brock. Professor Oak led his students up to the stands, where seats were reserved for the family and friends of the two contenders.

“Blue!” Oak called, cupping his hands to his mouth. “Good luck!”

Blue, who was leaning down to spray a healing potion on his Sandshrew, glanced up at Oak, Yellow, Jack, and John, who were waving at him. He grinned and gave them a wink. He then noticed Red, who mimed casting a fishing rod to ‘reel’ up his middle finger. Blue returned the gesture with interest.

“Good lord he’s flipping the bird on what will be potentially national television,” Oak said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You do know that any action you two take reflect on me as a-”

He was hushed by a sudden roar from the crowd as Brock finally climbed into the ring, shirtless as usual. His siblings, a cluster of children nearly identical to him in facial features began to start a chant, all the louder considering they too were in reserved seats.

“Welcome challenger!” Anyone once cheering suddenly silenced when Brock spoke, and despite the lack of microphone his voice rang throughout the gym. “I’ll cut to the chase. You will be allowed six Pokemon to use in battle, while I’ll only be using one, and you may switch them out whenever you wish. The match will come to an end with when one sides' team is unable to battle, or if either of us opt to surrender.”

“I understand,” Blue said, and his Sandshrew grinned beside him, showing the gym leader her claws. “But I’ll only be needing this one to beat you.”

Brock chuckled a little. “Your confidence does you credit. Let’s hope it’s not unfounded. Remember the stakes and danger of our match. By putting your Pokemon on the field of battle you put them at risk, and that goes for me as well.”

“Trust me, we’re both aware,” Blue said. The way he fingered the gem on his necklace betrayed a bit of anxiety. “And we’re ready when you are.”

The crowd broke out cheering again, taking up the chant that Brock’s siblings had started, growing in volume by the second.

“I can see I’m not exactly the popular choice, eh?” Blue said, chuckling a little.

“Well, Pewter’s a small city,” Brock shrugged. “I know a lot of the people here on a first name basis. I hope it won’t distract you?”

“You can do it, Blue!” Yellow called. “Don’t let anyone get to you!”

“Do it, bro!” Jack and John cried in unison.

“Beat his ass, Brock!” Red yelled.

Oak slapped him upside the head. “Will you stop that?”

A heavy-set man in a hiker’s getup sitting next to the trainer laughed at the display. “Got a bit of a grudge there?”

“Yeah, Blue’s just a big show off that loves stealing my thunder,” Red mumbled. “Someone needs to put him in his place.”

“Well, I can certainly relate to being envious of someone with talent,” the hiker said with a loud guffaw. “Names’ Kenny.”

“Uhh….Red,” Red said, shaking the older man’s hand. “Nice to meet you as well.”

“Ah...like the legend himself,” Kenny said with a nod. “Recognized the outfit.”

“Well, I plan to be a legend myself some day,” Red said, pointing to a snoozing Rocket in Yellow’s arms. “That’s my partner Pokemon. I started up from Pallet as well.”

Kenny’s response was cut off when Brock unclipped a Pokeball from his belt, to the roaring approval of the crowd.

“Abraham, show them our rock-hard determination!” The gym leader barked, and from the ball emerged a massive boulder with gruff features and four arms. Upon seeing his opponent, the Graveler flashed as smirk and began to crack his knuckles.

“Carolyn, scrap him like the rest,” Blue ordered, and the Sandshrew, despite the ferocity of her much bigger opponent, scurried forward with gusto.

“Aww, he’s not using an Onix?” Red asked, put out. “It’s Brock’s signature dude.”

“Well, that Sandshrew is a small opponent, very tough for an Onix to see, much less fight. Abraham here is way more suited for brawls like these,” Kenny explained.

“You sure do know a lot about Brock,” Red said, giving Kenny a curious look.

“Ha, well I’ve been sparring with him for years,” Kenny said, as the match officially began and the Pokemon began to launch their attacks. “I’d like to think I know Brock’s strategies down pat.”

“Abraham, rock throw!” Brock ordered. “Let’s test the waters.”

“Close the distance quick!” Blue shot back. “Slash!”

The Graveller took a few steps, tossing boulders from his hands toward Carolyn, who curled up into a rolling ball. Rolling far faster than if she was running, the Sandshrew swerved this way and that, avoiding the rocks with ease. Launching herself in the air, she uncurled herself and descended upon Abraham, claws at the ready.

Abraham raised his arms in defense and Carolyn’s claws slashed and scratched against them, to no effect against his rocky exterior. Abraham’s grin stretched even wider.

“Damn,” Blue growled.

“Let her have it, Abraham!” Brock barked, arms folded.

“Dodge his blows and gain some distance!” Blue countered.

Carolyn managed to twirl in the air to avoid the first two of the Graveler’s four arms, but the third caught her stomach and the fourth slammed into her head with enough force to snap it back, the Sandshrew hitting the ground rolling. 

“Recover quickly,” Blue ordered, sure to keep his voice even. “Don’t let him keep his momentum!”

“Magnitude!” Brock said.

The Sandshrew managed to land in a slide out of her roll. She dove to the side, and Abraham's magnitude cracked the ground where she had been standing less than a moment before. Carolyn, landing safely on her feet, took a deep breath of relief and crouched into a fighting stance.

“Impressive, working on your Pokemons’ footwork like that,” Brock said, nodding a little at his opponents’ skill. “Not a very common priority for beginners.”

“Yeah, well, I figured that when my opponent specializes in types often capable of manipulating the earth itself, keeping balance is pretty important,” Blue said. “That said, I think you’re impressive as well. Your Graveler is far faster than I would have expected from its species.”

“I’ve found it does tend to trip up opponents,” Brock said. “But speaking of unexpected speed, using your Sandshrew’s rolling ability to circumvent its naturally slow gait is pretty remarkable. You’re every bit the trainer that’s been hyped up.”

“Can you two nerds stop making out and start killing each other already?” Red roared. “We came here for a fight!”

“This kid is amazing,” Kenny said to an annoyed Professor Oak. “He’s like a cartoon character. I want to travel the world with him.”

“Oh he’s amusing for the first five minutes,” Oak said, rolling his eyes. “After that you begin to want to strangle him.”

“Guys, I’m right here,” Red muttered.

Chuckling at the exchange, Blue shook his head. “I guess I’ll follow through with the moron in the peanut gallery’s advice-” 

“Hey, screw you, dude!”

“-and bring out the big guns,” Blue said. “Carolyn, use dig!”

The Sandshrew burrowed into the ground of the ring, leaving a large hole in her wake.

“Come now, surely you could’ve seen this coming?” Brock asked, disappointed. “Magnitude, Abraham! Put more power into it this time!”

With a roar of effort, Abraham slammed all four fists into the floor, and with a powerful rumble the earth beneath Blue exploded. Carolyn shrieked as she was thrown through the air, and this time she wasn’t able to stick the landing.

“You had to know that magnitude would do damage while she was beneath the ground,” Brock said. “Bad mistake, Oak. It’ll cost you.”

“I’ll admit I expected I’d be able to power through it,” Blue said, biting his lip. “You okay, Carolyn?”

Carolyn managed a yelp of assent as she rose to her feet, albeit a bit unsteadily. Still, the determined light hadn’t left her eyes.

“Good,” Blue said. “Time to switch up strategies. Roll forward and prepare to attack, just like before.”

“Repeating mistakes is insanity, Oak,” Brock snorted. “Abraham, you know what to do. Magnitude.”

“Keep rolling, Carolyn,” Blue said. “You’ll know the opening you'll need when you see it.”

When Abraham punched the ground, the ground shook one more, creating jagged cracks, uneven ground and-

“A ramp!” Blue crowed. “Perfect!”

The ground had separated from the strength of the attack, leaving a large upward slant that Carolyn rolled up at high speed, getting even more air from the force of the trembling ground below her. She uncurled herself out of the ball, high in the air above Abraham’s head.

“We’ll block and counterattack, just like last time!” Brock growled. 

“Use dig, Carolyn!” Blue cried.

Carolyn fell like a rock, hands outstretched, and poor Abraham had only enough time to widen his eyes before she crashed into him with enough strength to drag the Graveler into the ground. The crowd winced as one at Abraham’s yelp of pain. Brock merely stood still as stone, speechless.

After a moment, Abraham burst out of the ground, landing hard on his back. He was unconscious. A moment later Carolyn hopped out of the previous hole she had made, and performed a short bow.

A moments pause, before the crowd erupted into cheers.

“Huh, I thought they didn’t like me,” Blue said, as Brock returned his Pokemon to his ball.

“They like good, well fought battles,” Brock said. “And yours was my best in years. I’m honored to present you with the Boulder Badge.”

As the crowd clapped and clapped, Red stood up. He managed a quick round of applause of his own before scooping up a still sleepy Rocket from Yellow’s arms and marching out of the gym, ignoring her calling his name out behind him.

Oak hadn’t even noticed forche was clapping and cheering the loudest of of everyone, and when Blue came out to greet him he met him with a tight hug. Brock smiled at the sight.

“I’m so proud of you,” Oak said, gripping Blue’s shoulders tightly. “Even in my own gym matches, I never wrapped up a fight that fast.”

“Bastard used one of my own moves against me,” Brock said, still looking a bit surprised. “He must’ve really studied for this.”

“I talk a big game, but I make sure I have the skills to back it up,” Blue said. “And you were a great opponent as well, Brock. I’d love a rematch when I’ve advanced a bit more.”

“Hey, if we survive what happens next, I’d be happy to have that rematch,” Brock said.

“The hell do you mean?” Blue asked, before Brock gestured to the now massive group of people surrounding the three men.

“Gym matches are insanely popular by default,” Oak said, shaking his head. “And now, after a rather intense battle, here we stand. Three celebrities surrounded by adoring fans. Brock wasn’t exaggerating when he said we may not survive this.”

“Oh,” Blue said, his very voice growing small as a dozen journalists swarm him.

“The first batch of paparazzi is always the worst,” Brock said, resigned to the fate of shrieking girls about to tackle him to the ground. “But you’ll get used to it.”

-

“Stupid. Perfect. Blue.” Red was tossing stones at the Pewter Museum of Science, aiming for the windows. Of course, with his aim, all he managed to hit were a a few of the surrounding trees.

“You got issues, man,” Rocket said, shaking his head. “And do you really need to vent out your frustration by destroying government property?”

“Oh c’mon, it’s the dumb museum,” Red grumbled. “It’s like fifty bucks to get a ticket and literally nothing of value is in there. No items, no cool move tutors. Seriously, check out the museum in the first generation, it blows and basically exists for no reason.”

“Whatever, kid,” Rocket said. “I just don’t understand why you can’t be happy for your friend here. Why do you always have to make everything about you?”

“I’m trying to, but every time I see him he just keeps improving and improving, and I’m left behind!” Red said. “I’ve had this dream my whole life, and….I think I realized today that I might just never cut it. There’s too much of a gap.”

“Red?”

Red turned to see an uncomfortable Yellow staring at him alongside Kenny. “Oh. hey guys. Sorry for storming out like that.”

“I just...I’ve never heard you talk like that before,” Yellow said, not meeting his eyes. “I um...I’m sorry for eavesdropping.”

“Oh...I’m sorry, Yellow,” Red said. “I just...I think it’s time I dropped the act. Maybe I’m really not going anywhere.”

“If I may interject, I’ve known you for maybe a half hour,” Kenny said. “And I think we all know you’re not ready to take on Brock.”

“Gee, thanks,” Red mumbled.

“But I know that fire in your eyes, the potential is there,” Kenny said. “If at all possible, I’d like to train you. All you need is a little guidance and I think you’ll have a shot. A diamond in the rough, if you will.”

“L-like Aladdin,” Red said in amazement.

“As long as it’s not the live action one,” Rocket whispered.

“Yeah, fair point,” Red whispered back with a little shudder. “Eww….”

“Listen, I’ll admit, I may not have that impressive a track record,” Kenny said, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ve been around the business, challenging gyms with little success. I obviously have no leg to stand on when I tell you this, but-”

“Hey, dude, that just makes you super relatable,” Red said, holding out his hand. “To fellow screw-ups?”

Kenny’s face grew into a wide smile. “To champs in the making.”

-

“Oh, Arceus, gross,” Blue moaned, pulling out gum from his hair. “Fangirls are the worst. How did this even get in here?”

Oak laughed. It was a bit later in the day, and the two were taking a stroll around Pewter City, enjoying each other’s company. “Wait until you get to your Center room. It’ll be filled to the brim with presents and fresh pastries. Don’t I know it.”

“I’ve actually already checked out,” Blue admitted. “I want to get to Mt. Moon as quickly as possible because Clefairy season is almost over.”

“Oh.” Oak said, blinking. “And you’re sure you don’t want to spend one last night here? The students and I will.”

“I’m good, Gramps,” Blue said, shrugging. “Not too much to do in Pewter anyway.”

Oak cleared his throat. “If that’s the case, I was hoping to discuss something with you before you left. Perhaps we could get a drink?”

“Oh uh...of course,” Blue said, a little surprised. “What’s it about?”

“Well….” Oak said as he steered his grandson towards a restaurant labeled ‘Clefairy’s Cafe’. “I think we’d better sit down first. It’s something I should have told you a long time ago, and it actually relates to Mt. Moon.”

 

-


	10. The Second Partnership

-

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Kenny said. “But why does your Pikachu seem so...agitated?”

“Oh, he’s just not a big fan of Viridian Forest,” Red said, patting a grumpy Rocket on the head.

At the crack of dawn, Kenny had woken up the young trainer (Red had no idea how the hiker had known where his Center room was, but he decided for his own peace of mind not to mention it) and lead him deep into the forest for their training. While Red was a morning person and therefore very excited, most of his Pokemon weren’t too fond of waking up at five am. With the exception of Jackie, of course, who was already hooting and swinging around between the Viridian trees.

“Ah, here we are,” Kenny said, finally coming to stop at a wide open field that bordered a small pond. “Not too many trees or wild Pokemon. This should be a good place to get some training done!”

“Awesome!” Red said. In his excitement, he dropped Lucina, whom he was carrying. She groaned as she hit the grass. “So, like, what’s your cool, unique, seemingly unrelated activity you’ll have me do to train?”

“I’m sorry?” Kenny asked as he dropped his large backpack on the grass and sat on it. 

“You know. Karate Kid. Wax on, wax off. Mentors always have really obscure training methods that seem really contrived and pointless at first but ultimately have a true wisdom behind it that helps the inexperienced prodigy improve!” Red said, his eyes practically shining. Lucina rolled her eyes at that, but Rocket simply nodded like it was obvious.

“Oh uh...haha, I was just gonna have you try and beat me in a fight,” Kenny said. “I uh...never trained anyone before. Figured that seemed like a good place to start.”

“Oh,” Red said, deflating. “I guess that’s cool, too.”

“Susan!” Kenny said, tossing out his Pokeball. His Nidorina appeared, and she stared at Red and his team with beady eyes. “So Red here’s gonna try and rough you up. Just fight back and do what you feel like, dude.”

 

Susan snorted, like this was a common occurrence, while Kenny rested with his head on his back, letting out a little yawn.

“Wait,” Red said. “You’re just going to sleep through our fight?”

“Yeah, champ. Waking up so early ain’t fun for me either,” Kenny said, settling down comfortably in the grass. “Have fun!”

Red, Rocket, Lucina, and Jackie watched as Kenny began to snore. Susan the Nidorina crouched down in front of him, ready to fight.

“Okay, I wasn’t gonna say anything…” Rocket said. “But this guy’s a whackjob. Why the hell are you even bothering with him, kid?”

“Because he actually believes in my potential!” Red said. He winced a little as Kenny muttered something about erupting volcanoes on Cinnabar spelling doom for the island. “I mean okay, given the circumstances, that may be saying more about me than it does about him, but he seemed pretty knowledgeable at Brock’s gym match. Which you’d have known if you hadn’t slept through it!”

“Okay, in my defense, that girl Yellow’s cuddles are downright soporific,” Rocket snapped. “She’s like the softest person I ever met.”

“I know right,” Red said, his face breaking out in a goofy grin. “She’s so cute and warm and fuzzy.”

“Focus, lover boy,” Rocket said. “Look, fact of the matter is, we may be just wasting valuable time here. You’re the one so obsessed with catching up to that Oak kid.”

“You’re only snippy because you don’t want to be in Viridian again.”

“This has nothing to do with that!” Rocket said, his cheeks sparking in annoyance. “I already went through character development a couple chapters ago regarding the stupid forest, and I’m not retreading old ground. Well I mean, in a figurative sense, not so much a literal sense considering we’re back in the for-”

“Susan, that’s your name, right?” Lucina practically had to shout over Rocket and Red’s argument. “Is it common for your trainer to let you fight while he’s out like a light?”

“Oh yeah,” the Nidorina said, shaking her head in amusement. “Look, we may as well just start. Believe it or not, my trainer is trying to prove a point here.”

“Alright, alright,” Red said. “So uh...do we do this one on one?”

“I’ll take on all three of you if you want,” Susan said with a shrug. “Honestly, your chances are pretty low otherwise.”

“Okay, dibs on her blue ass,” Rocket said, narrowing his eyes and generating electricity from his cheeks.

“Ha, not if I can catch up to her first!” Jackie chattered, hopping up and down in excitement.

“Alright, kick her butt!” Red said, and the two Pokemon sprinted forward, neck to neck, with lusty roars. “Lucy, bring up the rear!”

Lucina’s eyes flicked up to Red’s. “How?”

Susan herself didn’t make any aggressive movements, only acting at all when Jackie closed the distance. She reared up, blocking the Monkey’s swipe and kicking her hard in the legs. Jackie buckled, and Susan jumped to the side as a lightning bolt shot towards her. Jackie was hit dead on, and screeched as she collapsed in a smoking pile.

“Shit,” Rocket muttered. “Sorry, doll!”

Jackie let out a little whimper.

“....And we’re down to one on one anyway,” Susan said, grinning in amusement. “It’s just you and me, little man!”

“You don’t have to do it alone, Rocket!” Red called. “Charge her down, Lucina!”

“Red, do you not understand how fucking biology works!” Lucina screeched, writhing on the ground in fury.

“Heh, I don’t need them anyway,” Rocket said, sprinting forward in zig zags in an attempt to trip up his opponent. “All I need to win is faith, trust, and pixie-”

Rocket gasped in pain as Susan planted her foot into his stomach. He had practically run straight into the attack.

“Disney lied to me,” Rocket wheezed, doubling over. A quick blow from the Nidorina was enough to bring him down for good.

“It’s all up to you, Lucina!” Red said, pumping a fist.

“Good lord, can you beat up him next?” Lucina pleaded.

“Jeez, that didn’t take long at all,” Susan said, disappointed as she looked at the two unconscious Pokemon sprawled on the ground. “Old Kenny’s gonna have a tough time with you, dude.”  
She nudged her sleeping trainer, and he woke with a loud yawn. Stretching, he rose to his feet and looked around at the unconscious Pikachu and Monkey, and his unharmed Nidorina.

“Yup!” Kenny said, cracking a grin. “Seems about right!”

He went to work, pulling out some revives from his bag to wake up the fallen Pokemon, before spraying them with a few potions to get them back to full health. “Y’know, you really should stock up on these, champ. Pokemon tend to get roughed up even in the battles they win.”

“Oh, Oak gave me some,” Red said, remembering. “I just uh...keep forgetting I have them.”

Lucina banged her head against the grass, a pretty impressive feat for one of her species.

“So, wanna know how you lost?” Kenny asked, finishing off healing a moaning Jackie.

“Wait, but how would you know what I did wrong anyway? You weren’t even conscious during our fight.”

“I could tell how the fight would go just from the matchup,” Kenny said, giving a shrug. “Jackie and Rocket are quick, aggressive Pokemon, while Susan here, unlike her male counterpart, is more bulky and defensive, better suited for deflecting attacks rather than throwing some of her own. Without type advantage, she could withstand your moves, and since your Pokemon are far more frail, her countering blows would certainly be enough to take them down.”

“But...she had no orders,” Red protested. “And without strategy-”

“Who says Pokemon don’t have strategies of their own?” Kenny countered. “It’s their instincts, their biological defense mechanisms that allow them to know what to do in a fight.”

Red whimpered. “But...but strategy…”

“Look, order your Pikachu to attack Susan, right now,” Kenny said. “Let’s see how it goes.”

“Alright, redemption time!” Red crowed. “Rocket, use thunder shock!”

Jumping to his feet, Rocket grinned and released electricity from his cheeks….only for his face to fall as the Nidorina easily avoided the thunder shock by hopping to the side.

“He’s all yours,” Kenny said, and Susan charged down the Pikachu.

“Quick, dodge!” a desperate Red called, but the Nidorina managed to bowl him over before he could manage it. He tried to rise, only to find a poisonous horn at his throat.

“Y’see the problem?” Kenny said. “It’s a common rookie mistake to see Pokemon as a mere avatar for yourself, an outlet for your own thoughts and strategies. But it’s not the case at all. We’re our Pokemons’ teachers, their coaches. We don’t control them, but support and guide their considerable power. Sorta like my relationship to you. All you do by trying to force their actions is slow them down.”

“So...I just let them do what they want?” Red asked.

“Not at all,” Kenny said. “A Pokemon sees what’s in front of them, but it’s a trainer’ job to be aware of every element of a battle. Finding that balance between trusting in your partner and knowing when to take charge is the fundamental key to being a trainer.”

“Ookay….” Red said. “So like...I have to know stuff?”

“You have to learn stuff,” Kenny corrected, once more reaching into his seemingly bottomless bag and pulling out stacks of Pokemon textbooks. “So that’s why, while your Pokemon train their bodies, you’ll be training your mind by learning about Pokemon biology and movesets. I got quite a few from the Pewter library, so you’ll especially learn about the rock types that Brock uses.”

“But I hate reading!” Red moaned. “Can’t like...I watch a documentary or something?”

“Books enrich the mind, kiddo!” Kenny said. “Have fun!”

-

“You’ve caught all of them already?” Professor Oak asked, his face brightening in surprise from the Pokemon Center video screen that Blue was using to call home. “That’s very impressive; quite a few Pokemon in Route Three are quite rare.”

“Yeah, well, when you’re trapped in a small area for a day and a half, you get a lot of free time,” Blue snapped, unable to keep his annoyance out of his tone.

“You know this is for the best, Blue,” Oak said. “Rocket will have cleared out soon, and you’ll be able to traverse the cave freely.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Blue said with a little sigh. “I’m going to raise my team a few levels, study up on Cerulean’s gym leader.”

 

“Oh you’ll get along famously with Misty,” Oak said, his eyes lighting up. “She’s around the same age as you, with the same spirit and passion for battling.”

“Only been a gym leader for about a year and a half, right?” Blue said, remembering back when he had studied in depth each of the gym leaders months ago in preparation to become a trainer. He grinned. “She’s pretty cute, eh?”

“Yes, well, I’ve heard she’s a handful, so mind what you say around her,” Oak said, adjusting some papers. “I’ll see you soon, Blue. Stay safe.”

“Smell ya later, Gramps,” Blue said, and the screen winked out. The young Oak and collapsed on the big blue couch behind him, next to a man in a trenchcoat who had been watching their conversation.

“Why is he doing this?” Blue muttered. “Why the hell did I find everything out from you and not my own grandfather?”

“He’s paranoid, and it’s easy to understand why,” the man in the trenchcoat said. “I fear he believes there’s no use even to risk trying.”

“It’s insane,” Blue said. “A legendary Pokemon ended the Indigo War? How the hell am I even supposed to process this, Looker?”

“Well, we’re in the same boat in that regard,” Looker replied, putting a hand on Blue’s shoulder. Blue didn’t look very pleased at the contact, but didn’t make an effort to shimmy away. “I’m still stunned! But now that we know what Rocket Industries has to hide…”

“You say that I can help?” Blue asked, careful but intrigued. Looker seemed to understand the mistrust in his eyes.

“Rocket, for whatever reason, wants to get their claws into your grandfather,” Looker explained. “But obviously he’s been elusive. Your potential cooperation gives them easier access to him, so they’re likely to open up to you. Ergo, giving us insight.”

Blue thought for a moment, a hand hand going back to the jewel he hung around his neck that he often fingered when he felt anxious. “Whatever this whole conflict is, between my grandfather and Rocket Industries and whatever the behemoth that ended the war is, I don’t want any part of it. My Pokemon journey just started, and I’d rather just keep my head down and focus on my training.”

“I understand,” Looker said, nodding. 

“But I don’t appreciate stuff being kept from me,” Blue said, shaking his head. His fist clenched around the jewel. “Apparently I’ve been lied to for years, so if it means finally getting some goddamn answers….”

“You’ll be of assistance to the international police?” Looker asked, a surprised smile springing to his face.

“...Under a condition,” Blue finished. “My friend Green just started working an internship at whatever this Mt. Moon excavation project Rocket’s started, and my sister is at a university in Saffron sponsored by the Silph Company. If making a move puts them at risk…”

“Well, Daisy Oak we believe is in the know about Rocket Industries and your grandfather’s relationship with them,” Looker said. “She’s ghosted any of our attempts to communicate with her at the very least. Either way, we aren’t looking to make a scene in Mt. Moon, so if she keeps her head down she’ll likely be fine.”

“All right, fair enough,” Blue admitted. “And Green?”

“I suggest you find and talk to her before we make any other moves,” Looker suggested. “I assume you trust her?”

“We’ve been close friends since we were kids,” Blue said. “And she’ll be just as interested in what Gramps hid from us as I am.”

“Then do we have a deal?” Looker asked, extending his hand. “I’ll admit. This operation...isn’t exactly inside the er...legal parameters of my occupation. This is technically off duty work, and you could say I’ve technically “gone rogue,” as it were, me taking so abrupt and direct actions.”

“That’s pretty badass, dude!” Blue said, eagerly shaking the older man’s hand. “To understanding what the hell is going on, yeah?”

Looker chuckled. “To learning answers instead of the fallacies and half truths that Kanto’s been feeding us.”

-


	11. A Lesson in Victory

-

“Nyah nyah!” Jackie cackled, performing a quick tap dance as she hopped over bolts of lightning with ease. “You’ll never catch me!”

Rocket merely gritted his teeth and kept firing off thunder shocks, growing increasingly frustrated with every missed attack. The Pikachu figured if he wasted time mouthing off, he’d just be wasting energy. That being said, he could barely keep himself from shrieking out in rage.

“Rocket, your natural speed won’t be enough for an opponent like Jackie here. You’ll need to learn how to adjust to faster fighting styles. I know you’re used to being the fastest Pokemon around, but you’ll find you’ll have a lot that challenges you the more competitive the battling gets.”

Kenny had spent the afternoon gently keeping an eye on Red and his team as they went about their training exercises. Jackie and Rocket were sparring in the open field, while Red sifted through textbooks, looking thoroughly miserable, Lucina lounging by his side.

“So wait, this makes no sense,” Red said, gesturing to a page in the textbook he was currently perusing: Battling Styles Of Rock And Ground Pokemon. “How are flying types immune to earthy moves but weak to rocks? Hell, what’s the difference between rock and ground anyway? Don’t they both just come from the earth?”

“I dunno, kid, I don’t make the rules,” Kenny said with a shrug. “I guess the old adage about hitting two birds with one stone?”

“So wait, our biology is based on a metaphor?” Red asked. “How does that make sense?”

“I wouldn’t think about it,” Kenny admitted. “I mean once you really think about the reasoning behind type match-ups, everything starts to fall apart logically.”

He cleared his throat, as he sat down next to the young trainer. “So, what have you learned?”

“You know, if I knew my ‘training’ was just going to be learning basic Pokemon biology, I’d have just stuck with professor Oak,” Red grumbled. “I really need to memorize this stuff to be a good trainer? This is mind numbing. And why are you having Lucina just sit there instead of fighting like Rocket and Jackie?”

“She’s a Metapod,” Kenny said. “Unlike most Pokemon, Metapod, being a cocoon, she evolves through metamorphosis rather than simple transformation. Butterfree actually hatch from their Metapod shell. It’s a long process that will take Lucina here a ton of internal effort that won’t even be visible to us, so she’ll need a lot of rest.”

“Wait,” Red said. “Wouldn’t Lucina be a chrysalis, not a cocoon? Since she’s a butterfly and not a moth?”

Red froze and slapped his hands to his cheeks. “How the heck did I know that?”

“Haha, see stuff’s starting to stick!” Kenny laughed, slapping Red on the back. “And uh...I wouldn’t know. Everything I know about butterflies comes from The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

“This is great!” Red said, jumping up and down in excitement. “Quick, ask me more questions. I bet I know stuff!”

“Uh….okay,” Kenny said. “What Pokemon has the lowest base stat total of all time?”

Red squirmed with excitement. “Sunkern!”

“Well, technically it’s an individual Wishiwashi,” Kenny corrected. “But together they...what are you doing?”

“I’m going to stock up on knowledge!” Red cried, pouring through the textbooks with gusto. “I’ll be a regular Pokemon genius.”

“Huh,” Kenny watched on, bemused, as the trainer who had spent hours grousing over studying now did so with the same passion he took for Pokemon battling. “Guess all I needed to do was show him that there was something he knew and I didn’t.”

“What was that?”

“Heh, nothing,” Kenny said, turning back to where Jackie and Rocket were still sparring. The Mankey finally shrieked in pain as one of the Pikachu’s lightning bolts made contact with her. Rocket was staring, stunned, disbelieving that he had actually managed such a feat.

“There we are,” Kenny muttered to himself as he gave a thumbs’ up to the flabbergasted Pikachu. “I think we’re finally on our way.”

-

After a few days of intense training, Kenny had decided to test Red’s progress with a rematch, giving the trainer a second chance to prove himself.

Susan the Nidorina and Jackie the Mankey stared each other down in that same open field they had fought before, now littered with scorch marks from Rocket’s missed thunders shocks. Jackie stood very still in her pose, an aggressive stance with her arms raised above her head. Her calmness was a sharp contrast with her usual zaniness, a fact that seemed to intrigue Susan, who stood at the ready just as she did when she fought the Mankey and the Pikachu before.

“You can make the first move, Red,” Kenny said, and now he looked wide awake. He and his Pokemon wore matching expressions, an eagerness to see what the young trainer and his Pokemon were capable of. “Show me what you’ve learned.”

Red didn’t move. He himself did his best to stay just as still as Jackie, wary that any movement he made could broadcast his strategy. When he finally spoke, it was a quick “Go,” yet it drove Jackie forward just the same.

Jackie’s sprint was even quicker than normal, boosted from her constant training in dodging Rocket’s attacks. Susan tensed, ready to block when Jackie took a jumping lunge, but didn’t anticipate Jackie swinging her leg to switch directions midair. Now coming at the Nidorina from the side, she landed a powerful kick to her opponents’ shoulder. Susan grunted in surprise and pain, jabbing forward with her horn, but Jackie was already flipping back to gain distance from her bulkier opponent.

“Not bad,” Kenny crowed. “But let’s see how you play when your opponent changes tactics! Charge her down, Susan!”

Taking off in a lumbering run, the Nidorina charged Jackie, who managed to cartwheel out of her way. Pivoting on one foot, Jackie struck from behind, only to be hit hard by twin kicks from Susan’s back legs. Jackie hit the ground hard, but managed to roll away before Susan could press an advantage.

“You can’t dodge forever!” Kenny said. “Earth power!”

Susan punched the dirt, and an explosion ripped apart the ground under Jackie’s feet just as she sprung at the Nidorina again. The power of the move actually boosted her jump, and she was upon Susan before she could counter.

“I was hoping you’d use a ground move,” Red said, actually jumping in excitement. Kenny watched on in horror as Susan desperately tried to block against Jackie’s lightning quick strikes. She blocked the majority, but several managed to get behind her guard and glance off her tough skin.

“You can do it, Susan!” Red cried. “Keep pushing her back, and give her no room to mount a counterattack!”

It was obvious who held the advantage. Susan was forced further and further back, and Jackie seemed to be hitting her stride. Her blows, though fast, weren’t mindless. Each blow was calculated and aimed, and Susan could feel her limbs growing numb and her joints beginning to size up.

“You’re gonna have to take a few hits, Susan!” Kenny called. “Return an attack of your own!”

“Low kick!” Red called.

Jackie ducked as soon as a desperate Susan lunged, and with one swift motion she swung a sweeping kick that knocked her legs out from under her. The Nidorina collapsed with a howl of surprise. Jackie let out a little whoop of joy.

Red merely looked on at the victorious Mankey in surprise. “I...I actually did it.”

“There ya go, champ!” Kenny said, marching over and slapping his back. “Your first official victory in a Pokemon battle. I knew you had the potential!”

“I...amazing job, Jackie,” Red said, as she climbed up his shoulder. “I uh...I think I need a minute.”

“I won’t say that’s about everything I can teach you, but you made some great strides,” Kenny said. “We’ll call it for today, and I’d even think it’s high time you actually challenged the gym leader.”

“You think I’m really ready?” Red asked. “I mean, I’ve only won just one like, one match total, and Brock’s clearly very tough.”

“You didn’t seem so cautious before,” Kenny noted. 

“I guess all that talk...all that bluster,” Red suddenly looked embarrassed. “It was more of a fantasy than something I could perceive being following through on. Now that I’m beginning to see that I actually have potential…”

“You want to be cautious,” Kenny said, giving a nod of understanding. “I see. Well, either way, I say we head back to Pewter. I’m starving!”

“Ooh me too,” Red said, and they began to pack up. “Any place in mind?”

“Oh,” Kenny said, a wide grin growing on his face. “An old friend invited us over for dinner.”

-

Brock’s cottage was surprisingly small given his classy occupation, and with his nine younger siblings running around, the kitchen was very crowded. Brock himself was wearing an apron as he scrutinized the noodles he was cooking, a far cry from the ordinary taciturn and stoic facade he showcased at the gym.

“So you’re challenging my brother tomorrow?” the oldest of Brock’s siblings, Forrest was about twelve years old, and signifigantly calmer than the two twins who were literally fighting over poor Rocket. 

“Uh maybe.” Red winced as one of the younger girls jumped on his shoulders. “Hey, watch the hat.”

“Well, I’ll admit you piqued my interest with how you shouted at Blue like that,” Brock said, turning over to smile at the trainer being harassed by his little sister. “Want an extra helping? You’re our guest, after all.”

“Heck yeah, I want extra,” Red said. “And Blue and I go way back. You can call us fated rivals.”

“Well, Blue’s a tough act to follow,” Brock said. “I’ll admit, I’m getting a little excited here.”

The massive family, Kenny, and Red sat around a tiny table, digging into the ramen that Brock had spent time preparing. Surprisingly, for once everyone was quiet as they ate. It was evident that Brock’s skill as a cook was not to be scoffed at.

“So what’s your guys’ story then?” Red said through a mouthful, before taking a second to swallow. “You seem to be close friends. What’s your history?”

“Oh, Brock’s father and I were war buddies,” Kenny said, leaning back in his chair, having practically inhaled his own plate. “I’ve known Brock here since diapers.”

“Wait, you fought in the Indigo War?” Red whispered, amazed. “You never mentioned that.”

“That’s odd, old Ken loves to brag about the war,” Brock said, grinning as Kenny punched his shoulder. “Don’t believe any of the stories he tells you. About eighty percent of them are made up.”

“Bah, you weren’t there,” Kenny snorted. “Anyway, I’ve been helping Brock here with the kids for a while now. Ever since er….”

“Ever since the responsibility was on me to take care of the household,” Brock said in a strained sort of way. He seemed to notice the bitterness in his voice and gave an easy smile that resembled Kenny’s usual grin. “Not that I’m complaining, I loved these little guys.”

As he ruffled one of his sister’s (Suzie’s? Red had no idea which kid was which or what each of their names were) hair, Red chanced a glance at Kenny, who shook his head and mouthed: “I’ll tell you later”. Red decided just to go on with dinner and push down his questions and curiosity about Brock’s reaction for the time being.

The conversation moved to Pokemon battling, a topic that certainly excited Forrest. Red didn’t want to admit it, but the kid knew way more about statistics and moves than he ever could. Kenny looked like he was trying to stifle a laugh upon seeing the young trainer’s stunned silence.

“What do you think, Red? Does a Dragonite have the bulk necessary to survive against Salamence’s superior speed and ferocity?” Forrest asked, and Red was jolted from his daydreaming.

“I uh...think Dragonite looks cool?” Red said with an awkward grin.

“All right, I think it’s best if we head now,” Kenny said suddenly, managing to save Red from Forrest’s response. “We’ll see about the match tomorrow, eh?”

“I’m certainly excited for it,” Brock said, shaking Red’s hands. “Whenever you’re ready, come at me any time.”

“I’ll be sure to-”

“Tilly! Cindy! Don’t you dare run away,” Brock thundered. “You’re helping me clear off the table!”

As Brock’s siblings began to argue amongst themselves over who would have which job, Kenny nudged a bemused Red, who turned around to see that he had both their bags in hand and Rocket on his shoulder.

“We’d better get out of here,” he murmured. “These spats can last hours.”

The two were out of they’re without Brock or his siblings noticing. Only a passive Forrest saw them leave, and he gave them a knowing smile and a conspiratorial wink as they slipped out. 

It was a bit late now, the moonlight imbuing Pewter’s empty streets in a fluorescent glow. The night air was cool, and Red couldn’t help but feel his spirits rise.

“You know, I’ve always wanted a nice family dynamic like that,” he said. “I sorta had it, with old Oak and his grand-kids, but like...genetics wise it was just me and my mom, stuck with each other.”

“It’s total chaos, but it's beautiful chaos,” Kenny agreed. “Heh, shame I never settled down myself.”

They came into view of the Pokemon Center, but there was still that question Red wanted to ask. “Er, why is Brock taking care of his siblings by himself? Are his parents….”

He trailed off.

“His mom passed away, just last year,” Kenny said quietly. He gestured to a park bench, and Red nodded. They both sat down. “And his dad, well...”

Kenny cleared his throat. “See, truth is, back in the war, we served under Lieutenant Surge in the Instinct Corps, defending port Vermilion. You know enough about our history to know the war wasn’t going well for a long time, eh?”

“Yeah,” Red said. “Johto’s might took a lot of the southernmost cities, right?”

“That they did,” Kenny said. ”Anyway, Vermilion was right in the thick of the war, and once Fuchsia was captured, we had to defend it on two fronts. Hell if it wasn’t for our close proximity to Saffron, we’d have been overwhelmed right away. As it was, we suffered some of the worst casualties in the war. I was actually one of the lucky ones.”

He pulled up a pant leg to reveal a scar just below his knee. “Gunshot wound that got me honorably discharged. Last time I saw a lot of the boys in the Instinct Corps. Brock’s father, Flint, served long after I was sent home, and finally returned with what little remained of the Vermilion militia, but...”

“What?” Red asked, transfixed. Rocket looked just as intrigued.

“I don’t know,” Kenny said helplessly. “The official records say that Johto withdrew, but I’ve always had the theory that powerful psychics were involved in what forced them to retreat, probably reinforcements from Saffron. Flint was never physically wounded, but he was never the same person when he came back. Maybe it was PTSD, or maybe my theory about psychic involvement was correct and he was hit by friendly fire, but either way, he suffers from memory loss, hallucinations, has no real concept of depth perception…”

He took a deep, choked breath. “Flint was a broken man after that. His wife did her best to help, they had a lot of kids, did their best to raise them as a normal family, but after she passed…he gave up. He’s ashamed of himself, and well...I see him every once in a while when he tries to discreetly check up on his kids.”

Red squirmed in his seat. “That’s rough, man, I’m sorry to bring stuff like this up.”

“It’s fine,” Kenny said. “I just wish he let us help him.”

“So Brock is just...stuck here? Looking after all those kids?” Red asked. “Does he even want to be gym leader?”

“He likes battling for sure, but Brock always wanted to be a breeder,” Kenny said. “It was all he talked about growing up. Heh, he was kinda like you in that regard.”

“Oh,” Red said, looking down.

“It’s not a very happy story, but I think one last lesson before your gym battle with Brock will do you credit,” Kenny said. “Sometimes dreams just don’t work out when real life gets in the way, and it can be external or internal influences. Part of committing to a goal is knowing that you may have to give up on it one day. Denial won’t do you any favors.”

“Is that what you did?” Red asked. “You told me you didn’t have battling in you anymore.”

“I did,” Kenny said with a rueful smile. “After the war, well, I wasn’t really the trainer I used to be. I have issues of my own, I guess. But hey, I’m satisfied. Because of you, Red. Your dedication, your drive to be the champion, that’s enough for me, just being part of your journey.”

Red looked down and thought for a long while. “I think...I think I’m going to take a few days before I challenge the gym. Do some solo training. For once...I don’t want to rush this. Committing to a goal doesn’t mean I have to move at a breakneck pace, right?”

“It’s up to you, champ,” Kenny said, and he began to trudge away. “But when you challenge Brock, no matter how long it takes, I’ll be there to support you.”

“You know, you’re really not acting like yourself lately,” Rocket remarked, noticing Red’s hands shaking. “You sure you’re doing okay, kid?”

“Yeah,” Red said in a hoarse voice. He began to shiver, and hugged his arms close to his chest. Rocket looked his trainer in the eyes and started at just how pale he was.

“It hit me for the first time just how much I have to lose.”

-


	12. Chapter 12

-

It was mid afternoon when Blue finally noticed Green walking through the doors of the Pokemon Center, clothes dirty but with an energetic smile on her face. He approached he as she handed over a few Pokeballs to the Nurse Joy working there.

“Hey, Green,” Blue said, waving a hand.

Green’s face lit up. “Blue! I heard you won your gym match!”

She went for a hug while he went for a handshake. After an awkward moment, they settled on a high five.

“Yeah, kicked Brock’s ass pretty well and good,” Blue said, gesturing showing off the new Boulder badge in his badge case proudly. “No one was too surprised.”

“You know, you and Red could both learn a little word called ‘humility’,” Green said, raising an eyebrow. “Probably will make you more likable to your “adoring” fans. They all think you’re a cocky asshole?”

“Why hide what I really am?” Blue asked. “Say, you want to head to Pewter for a drink? There’s a nice restaurant Gramps and I ate at a few days back.”

“You’re on,” Green said. “Just got out of work anyway. I haven’t spent much time in Pewter yet, so maybe we could check out the museum as well?”

“Well we all know the museum is a waste of space, but whatever floats your boat.” As he opened the door and held it for her, Blue chanced a glance to the man sitting on the big blue couch, blocked by the massive newspaper he was reading. The man gave Blue a brief thumbs’ up, a hint of the sleeve of his brown trench coat in view…

“Alright,” Blue muttered under his breath as he followed Green out the door. “Let’s hope this ‘date’ of ours goes well.”

-

“You sure you want to do this now, kid?” Rocket asked, watching Red take a few deep breaths. They were standing outside the doors of the gym, and they had been doing so for more than a few minutes.

“Y-yeah, yeah, I got this,” Red said. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. “I’m the boss, I’m the boss, I’m the boss…”

“Look, when we first met, maybe I didn’t exactly have high hopes for you doing well,” Rocket said, trying for his best soothing voice. “In truth, heh, I thought you might get us all killed.”

“Okay Rocket,” Red mumbled.

“No seriously, I need to stress that I had to accept that I’d be gored by a Tauros or something,” Rocket said. “Not even like an enemy Tauros. Just one that you accidentally pissed off-”

“Okay, Rocket,” Red hissed. “Really not very reassuring.”

“-But we’ve gotten a lot better, dude!” Rocket said. “Jackie doesn’t go berserk every time she sees a potential opponent, I can actually hit the broad side of a barn with my lightning attacks now, and Lucina-”

“You guys are great,” Red interrupted. “I’m not worried that you’ll suck. I’m worried that I’ll screw it up like I screw up everything.”

“Where is this coming from?” Rocket asked. “You never used to second guess yourself before. It’s one of your greatest, if obnoxious, qualities.”

“Well, the first step to not sucking is realizing how much you sucked beforehand,” Red explained. “And oooh boy, in my case, there was a lot of suckage.”

“You being more cautious is great, but you having a panic attack is not,” Rocket said. “You need to let yourself feel confident, or we’ll all be screwed.”

“I guess….” Red said. 

“Look, even if you don’t feel it, act like it, trick everybody else,” Rocket said. “Maybe you’ll even forget its an act.”

“Okay,” Red said, closing his eyes and letting out one final deep breath. “Let’s go crush some rocks.”

He pushed the doors open as dramatically as he could manage.

“Gentlemen!” Red shouted with a wide grin as he sauntered into the gym. “Your superior has arrived!”

It was far less crowded than when it had been when Blue fought Brock; only a few spectators could be seen at the stands, Brock's siblings notable among them. In fact, the only supporter on Red’s side was Kenny, who grinned and gave him a thumbs’ up.

“Oh,” Red said, growing very quiet.

“Yeah, not very climactic of a setting, is it?” A voice said behind him.

Red screamed and jumped away from his potential attacker….only to see it was Yellow. Rocket fell off his shoulder and flat on his face.

“Jesus, dude, how do you keep doing that?!” Red shouted, putting a hand on his heart.

“Sorry!” Yellow said, looking embarrassed. “I just was worried I’d be late for your match.”

“Are old Oak and the crappy twins here too?” Red asked. 

“Um no,” Yellow admitted. “I uh...kind of snuck out. Hunkered down in the hut where I used to live in Viridian Forest.”

“Haha, I forgot you used to live in the wild like a crazy person,” Red said. He smiled. “Anyway, I’m really happy you came down to support me, Yellow.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Yellow said, clapping her hands. “You’ve been whining about this dream of yours our entire lives! Of course I’d want to support you.”

“Um...did you have to use the word ‘whining’?” Red asked, scratching the back of his head.

“Saved ya a seat, kiddo!” Kenny called, patting the bench to his left. “We can make bets!”

“What do you mean ‘saved you a seat?” Red asked. “There’s literally no one else-”

Yellow punched him playfully on the arm to shut Red up. “On my way, Kenny!”

As she darted up to the stands, Red looked up to see Brock ducking under the ring ropes to greet him. They shook hands. Brock was in his ordinary getup, shirtless with some very beat up pants. 

“Glad to see you here, Red,” Brock said. “Trainers from Pallet are far and few between, so having the chance to take on two in one week is quite the treat.”

“Oh, I’ll show you a real treat soon enough,” Red said with a wink. “I’ll make Blue look like Youngster Joey.”

“Oh?” Brock said, an amused smile playing on his face. “Well I won’t deny I’m excited to see how you fare compared to your ‘fated’ rival.”

“So do we do this now?” Red asked. “Or do I have to fight preliminary matches?”

“Ken told me you beat Susan in a one on one fight,” Brock said. “Susan’s never lost in the preliminaries once. I think we’re ready to start. Come on up to the ring.”

He looked at Rocket as Brock jumped back up on the battlefield arena. “Hey, I’m obviously not to use you, given your typing and all. Want to hang with Kenny and Yellow?”

The Pikachu snorted. “I’m with you till the end of the line, kid. Not going anywhere.”

“I’ll admit,” Red said, climbing up after the gym leader. “That is kinda reassuring.”

“I think I’ll be using two Pokemon this time around,” Brock announced after a moments’ hesitation. “You of course, will be allowed to use six. Unlike myself you will be allowed to switch out at any point. The match will come to an end with when one sides' team is unable to battle, or if either of us opt to surrender.”

“I never understood this,” Yellow said, as Brock raised a Pokeball and prepared to throw it. “Why are there so many limitations against the gym leader? It always feels so stacked against them.”

“Truth is, it’s not a gym leader’s role to go all out in a cutthroat attempt to win like the challenger,” Kenny explained. “It’s a gym leader’s job to test their opponent, to determine the progress the trainer still needs to make. I doubt even a trainer with a few badges could hope to challenge a gym leader fighting their damndest, especially when they’re using their most powerful teams.”

“Wow, you’re really passionate about this, huh,” Yellow said, smiling up at the hiker.

“Haha, well, back in the day I sorta wanted to be a gym leader myself, or at least defeat one,” Kenny admitted. “Dream kinda went south when I got drafted into the Indigo War though.” 

“Remember the stakes and danger of our match,” Brock said, wrapping up his speech with the same line Red remembered him telling Blue. “By putting your Pokemon on the field of battle you put them at risk, and that goes for me as well.”

Red hesitated. This was his last chance to back out. Was he ready? He chanced a glance at the battlefield, remembering Blue’s report a while back on how each gym had a specific arena. As one would expect from a rock gym, the arena floor was earthy, with jutting rocks sprinkled around to complete the look. Red had no doubt this would give Brock an advantage over him. Was he really ready?

Rocket’s tail nudged his neck, and he looked to see his Pikachu give him a confident grin. Already feeling better, he unclipped the Pokeball of his choice from his belt.

“Let’s get this over with then, eh?” Red asked, spinning the ball on a finger. Brock grinned at his bluster.

“That’s good enough for me!” Brock said, throwing his Pokeball. “Joshua, show them our rock-hard determination!”

The Pokemon resembled the Graveler he used against Blue, but clearly in its previous, unevolved form, being much smaller in size and lower in muscle tone. Only two arms were attached to his rocky body, but the fierce expression on his face put Red off regardless.

“Jackie, you’re up first!” Red called, throwing his own ball. Jackie leaped out with a shriek, sliding into her signature stance with her arms raised above her head.

“Wow, Jackie looks...a lot different,” Yellow noted.

“Lot stronger, right?” Kenny agreed. “It’s pretty incredible how quickly Pokemon can grow, even just in a few days.”

“Well, yes, but I mean even beyond that,” Yellow elaborated. “I only met her briefly, but she was clearly Red’s strongest Pokemon of the three he had. She was also clearly still wild and out of his control. Now Red and Jackie seem to be in sync, even just from their stances.”

Kenny let out a low, long whistle. “You can tell that just from a quick look?”

“I um...I was basically raised by Pokemon,” Yellow admitted with a bashful giggle. “And Oak taught me a lot about them after that, so I do know a thing or two.”

“Where’s Abraham, Brock?” Red taunted. “I bet he’d put up a tougher fight than this tiny pebble.”

Brock shrugged. “I prefer Abraham for one on one fights. Besides, I like my opponents to be blind when I fight them. You’ve already seen his tricks.”

“Fair enough,” Red admitted. “Jackie, you take this one easily. Just keep focused.”

The Mankey gave a curt nod, her eyes never leaving her opponents'.

“Show time,” Kenny whispered, timing Brock’s call perfectly.

“Joshua, rock throw, now!” Brock ordered, and the Geodude elbowed the rocky ground beneath him with enough strength to send two large stones bursting upwards. Catching them, he spun, whipping the stones at Jackie.

“Go get ‘em!” Red ordered, and Jackie was running to meet the flying rocks, swift as an arrow.

With a battle cry, she swung a kick to shatter the first stone, before spinning to bring down a karate chop to perfectly cleave the second in two. She continued her sprint to the Geodude, the rock throw only having stalled her for a few seconds.

“Defense curl,” Brock shouted, and Joshua raised his hands to guard as Jackie fell upon him. Joshua’s rocky arms were enough to repel Jackie’s raining blows, but it was obvious who had the edge. Each kick, each calculated yet aggressive strike pushed the Geodude backwards, and it was obvious to the Mankey that he didn’t even come close to stacking up to Susan’s skill.

“Magnitude, Joshua!” Brock barked. “You need to push her back.”

With a grunt of effort, Joshua slammed his fists into the ground, the impact making cracks and causing the very ground to shake. It carried on far enough to even affect Red, who actually stumbled a bit, Rocket gripping tightly to his shoulder.

The move would have been very effective...if Jackie hadn’t jumped in the air before Joshua’s fists had even struck the ground.

Falling down, Jackie used her momentum to land a vicious chop upside Joshua’s head, and he smashed into the ground on his face. Jackie landed behind him in a crouch.

Joshua managed to push himself up and threw a vicious, desperate punch...that Jackie caught. With one final war cry, she flipped the Geodude over her head, and he smashed into the ground once more, this time on his back.

“Yes!” Red said, pumping a fist, as Yellow and Kenny both broke into raucous applause. Brock nodded a little to validate the victory and returned Joshua to his Pokeball.

Brock’s siblings, Red was pleased to see, looking grouchy and unnerved by Red’s quick victory. All except for Forrest, who was leaning over the railing, eyes shining. 

“I’ll admit, Red, that was record timing,” Brock said, pulling out another Pokeball. 

“Yeah, well, I got to back up my claims, right?” Red said, tipping his hat. His confidence felt a little less forced than it had when he first arrived at the gym.

“That was the same line your rival used when he beat me,” Brock pointed out.

“Yeah, well, did Blue beat you without taking any damage?” Red asked rhetorically. “I didn’t think so.”

“Blue fought a much tougher first opponent than you did,” Brock said. “Joshua’s fairly new to my battling team. I’ll admit, that fight was mostly just to test if you were serious or not.”

“Aw what?” Red asked, deflating.

“Keep up that confidence though,” Brock said, pressing the button on his Pokeball. “It may do you some good against this next guy. It’s down to you, Samson!”

“Uh-oh,” Kenny muttered.

“Uh-oh, what?” Yellow asked, glancing at him.

“Uh-oh, that!” Kenny said, pointing at the Pokemon that had just entered the fray.

A massive, snake-like Pokemon seemed to curl around the entirety of the arena. Towering over Brock’s impressive six foot height, an Onix let out a roar that seemed to shake the entire gym. Both Red and Rocket stared, jaws dropped, and even the fearless Jackie looked a bit intimidated as she looked up at the Pokemon that dwarfed her. 

“Uh-oh!” Yellow cried, cupping a hand to her mouth.

Brock grinned at their reactions. “I’d say it’s time for the real fight to begin.”

“Hey, kid, should we throw in the towel?” Rocket whispered. “He looks like he’s going to eat poor Jackie alive!”

Red hesitated only a moment. “Jackie! No matter how big he is, he’s still just a rock. Pulverize him like you would any of his type.”

His rousing confidence likely would have motivated the Mankey, but she was too busy springing backwards, narrowly dodging Samson’s swinging tail as it cracked the ground where she once stood. Landing on her hands, she back-flipped a few feet back.

“C’mon, Jackie, charge him down!” Red ordered. “Get past his guard.”

Brock merely shook his head as Jackie launched forward once more. “First rule of gym battles, never use the same technique twice. Rock tomb!”

Samson drew itself to full height (barely brushing against the ceiling with his horn), and dropped down massive boulders that rained on Jackie. She went to work, kicking and punching through them, but they were far bigger and far more in number than when Joshua had used rock throw.

Red bit his lip, noting that though Jackie was holding her own against the falling rocks, she wouldn’t make any progress. A boulder that managed to clip her shoulder was what convinced Red that the exchange was pointless.

“Fall back!” Red ordered, and Jackie weaved through the boulders, back to his side. Her shoulder wound didn’t seem too serious-

-but before he could get a good look, Samson’s tail struck her from the side and slapped her against the ground.

“Jackie!” Red cried, and both Kenny and Yellow stood up in their horror. Brock smiled, victory in sight.

“Sorry, Red, but there’s no way you can escape Samson’s range,” Brock said, before snapping a finger. “End it!”

Samson swung his tail down like a hammer with all of his strength…

….

...Only it never hit the ground.

“Bwuh?” Brock spat out, as Samson looked on in surprise as his tail slowly began to lift. Kneeling with one foot, Jackie was pushing up the tail higher and higher, her arm shaking under the massive effort.

“Holy shit thank god,” Red whispered. Jackie’s fur was matted with blood, but the fierce determination in her eyes was enough to tell him she could keep going. “It’s time for our secret weapon! Low kick!”

With a shriek of both pain and force of will, Jackie tossed Samson’s tail aside, managing to throw him off balance. Then she was pouncing at him, swinging a roundhouse kick that managed to find purchase into his thick, rocky skin.

Samson grunted in pain and slid backwards, as Jackie managed to land on her feet. Kenny and Yellow cheered her on as she aimed for his head.

Samson swung his head, meeting two of her blows with his horn, before Brock ordered him to use the move “screech”. Samson opened his mouth and let loose a vicious, blood curdling scream that was somehow enough to force her backwards.

“Now, dig! End it!” Brock ordered.

“Dodge!” Red cried out desperately, and managed a sigh of relief as Jackie rolled to the side to avoid the Onix as it burrowed into the ground.

Of course, Red realized, this left him as a sitting duck, as he was unable to do anything until Samson resurfaced.

But maybe that wasn’t true.

“Jackie, I need you to be sure of his movements,” Red said. “We need to know where he’s going to pop out.”

Jackie rose to one knee and placed a hand on the arena floor, closing her eyes. Her nose began to twitch.

“Now, jump!” Red cried.

Jackie sprang up...a split second before Samson burst out from under her.

“Get him!” Red screamed.

Using his horn as a grip, Jackie landed on the Onix’s head, aiming vicious strikes at such a vulnerable position. Samson roared in pain and thrashed around in his panic. Brock actually had to duck when Samson accidentally swung his tail over where he was.

“Oh my god, is he aiming for the horn?” Kenny asked, a deep pain evident in his eyes.

“Well, hey, look at the bright side,” Yellow said. “At least he isn’t using his Pikachu to do it.”

Jackie had hit her stride now, unrelenting in her many attacks to poor Samson’s noggin. Samson himself was a wreck, unable to hit her thanks to her position on his head.

Brock cursed under his breath. “Let’s change tactics. Use bide!”

Upon hearing his trainers’ reassuring voice, Samson calmed immediately. He tightened himself up, repeatedly taking attack after attack while slowly turning the color red.

“That’s not good,” Kenny said, taking off his hat to wipe away some sweat from his brow. “Bide’s a terrifying attack.”

“What does it do?” Yellow whispered.

“It takes any damage that’s dealt on a Pokemon and releases it right back to its opponent,” an ashen faced Kenny explained. “Jackie’s done so much damage now that, if fired, I don’t think any of Red’s Pokemon could survive it.”

“Dammit, use low kick!” Red said, trying to stay calm himself. Still, each kick that wasn’t enough to bring down Samson was another stab to his heart. Jackie threw low kick after low kick, but he just wasn’t budging.

“Of course, the move leaves the user in a very vulnerable state, and Jackie has type advantage,” Kenny explained. “As long as she’s unrelenting, her moves might be enough to take him out before-”

“Jackie return!” Red ordered, after a minute.

“Oh,” Kenny said, blinking. “I think he may have screwed himself over.”

Jackie looked annoyed she was being pulled out, but allowed it anyway. Samson shook with newfound power, still coated in red.

“Switching out right before the bide hits, eh?” Brock said, raising an eyebrow. “What are you trying to do, sacrifice a Pokemon?”’

“Not at all!” Red said. “In fact, you using the move bide sealed my victory. Let’s show ‘em why, Lucina!”

He threw the ball, and out came...well she certainly wasn’t a Metapod anymore. Two powerful, beautiful, gossamer wings took her new purple body to the sky, and her now red eyes were compounded. The brand new Butterfree performed a dance in the air, to the amazement of the people sitting in the stands.

“Haha, I’ll admit we may have done a little recital to show off for our gym match,” Red chuckled, as Lucina performed an aerial pirouette.

“She’s so pretty!” Yellow gushed, clasping her hands.

“Yeah well, pretty ain’t gonna win her the match,” Kenny said. “That’s a very dangerous choice against a rock gym.”

“Alright, Lucina, let’s show them what you can do,” Red said. “Use confusion!”

A bright, pink power shone in Lucina’s eyes, and she sent a psychic wave to cause Samson to writhe in pain, attacking his very mind.

“Keep at it, don’t let up!” Red ordered, and Lucina swooped around the Onix, shooting psychic attacks to wound the beast further.

“Ah, a psychic move,” Brock noted. “Clever. Though rock types are sturdy against most moves, they have no defense against mental attacks like that. And I assume another advantage you intend to use is your Butterfree’s mobility to evade attacks? I see you actually know what you’re doing.”

Red said nothing, and Lucina let loose yet another confusion attack. Despite the pain clearly wracking Samson’s body, he had not yet fallen. Indeed, he was still glowing red, ready to shoot off the bide attack. 

“But it’s a risky play,” Brock said, folding his arms. “With your typing, a single attack landed will be enough to take you down. You may be risking your Pokemon’s life here."

“He has a point, you know,” Lucina said to Red with telepathy, careful to avoid revealing she could do so to the other humans in the gym. “If I get hit by even a pebble I’m probably going to fucking die.”

“Just trust me, Lucy,” Red said back, doing his best to sound confident, a difficult feat considering they were communicating mentally. “He lost the moment he decided to use bide.”

The Butterfree still looked a bit disgruntled, yet she continued to aim her attacks, racking up considerable damaging against a grumbling Samson. Suddenly the Onix’s eyes shot open.

“Now, bide!” Brock shouted.

“Sleep powder!” Red cried out.

Samson opened his mouth, but froze as Lucina shook her wings, and a powder descended on his body. For a moment he struggled against the suddenly whatever was causing his eyes to droop, but ultimately collapsed, snoring.

“I-what?” Brock gaped.

“End it, Lucy!” Red shouted, and Lucina narrowed her eyes. Samson’s body became outlined in pink, and began to rise, higher and higher, a sleeping Onix floating above the trainers' heads.

With a scream of effort, Lucina slammed Samson down, and though the Onix had been strong enough to crack the ground, the Butterfree crumbled it. Samson practically sank into the earth as dust and rocks flew up around him.

Even if he hadn’t been asleep, the Onix would not be waking up anytime soon.

The silence that followed was deafening. Brock’s siblings were all staring, open-mouthed, almost in unison. Yellow and Kenny looked just as stunned. Brock actually fell to his knees in shock.

Red finally broke the silence. “FUCK YEAH!”

“That was...an excellent battle, Red,” Brock said, walking over to shake his hand. “I’d never have thought a Butterfree could take out an Onix. You managed to bait me into using bide, and I never saw it coming.”

“Thanks man, it was really fun!” Red said. “So do I get a badge now?”

“You do,” Brock said, nodding. “It’s a whole ceremony, so you may want to get all that dirt off you clothes before you talk to the press.”

“Wait, press?” Red asked. “I’m going to be like...interviewed and stuff?”

“Sure thing, champ in the making,” Kenny said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “You beat a gym leader. That means you’re serious about this whole thing. You’re on the map now.”

“On the map…” Red whispered. “This is the best day of my life…”

“I knew you could do it,” Yellow said, hopping down from the stands after Kenny. “Plus now Kenny owes me fifty bucks.”

“Wait, you bet against me?” Red turned on Kenny, who gave a nervous laugh.

“I just uh..thought you might not have won with a perfect record when you fought him,” Kenny admitted. He gulped at Red’s glare. “Hey, give me a break, I’ve never beat Brock before!”

“Pay up!” Yellow said, smiling as she held out a hand. Kenny let out a deep sigh and dug through his pockets.

“The ceremony will be tonight, so why don’t we all have dinner at our house after,” Brock said. “Though uh...you may want to watch your back, Red.”

“Why so?” Red asked, but gulped when Brock pointed back to his siblings, who were wearing matching angry expressions and stomping down the stands, right towards the trainer from Pallet.

“Haha, let’s just say they don’t like it when I lose,” Brock chuckled. “You have a lot of apologizing to do.”

Red stumbled back. “Oh god. My worst nightmare. Angry orphans.”

He ran away screaming. The kids (save for a couple of the older ones), broke out into a run after him, screaming bloody murder. Red shrieked and poured on the speed.

“That’s the trainer who might end up being the champion,” Brock said, amused. 

“Right? This is gonna be such a fun ride!” Kenny said with a toothy grin.

-


	13. Injustice Served

-

“Check is on you, eh?” an impressed Green said as the waiter, a tall, thin man who spoke little, whisked away with their menus. “Never figured you for a gentleman.”

Clefairy’s Cafe was a quiet, yet high quality restaurant without much presence; a place Blue had found perfect to talk to his friend. Indeed, at the moment, he and Green were the only ones seated. The guy tending the bar was so bored he was openly watching the television displayed on the back wall.

“Hey, I’m very much a gentleman,” Blue said, taking a sip of his drink. He nearly spat it out. “Gah, I can practically taste the minerals. I hate Pewter.”

“Yeah?” Green raised an eyebrow. “Then why’d you take me here, stud?”

“Food’s not bad,” Blue said, shrugging. “Plus, I keep getting flocked by like...fan-girls and paparazzi and stuff. This is a good place to take a breather and get some alone time.”

“Ooh, publicity? You poor baby,” Green said, cooing mockingly. “Tired of all the endless praise and gifts you get from your adoring fans? I feel sooo bad for you.”

Blue snorted. “You know, you call me an asshole, but you’re way worse of one.”

“Hey, dude, I have to work in a cave,” Green said. “With guys that don’t shower. There’s so much dirt caked into my skin I think my pigment’s changing. Remember how, despite getting the same grades, you got to be a Pokemon Trainer and I have to work at an internship in a cave?”

“All right, all right!” Blue said, raising his hands in surrender. “You win, your life is worse than mine.”

They broke off into laughter that ultimately lapsed into a comfortable silence. Blue had missed Green. Red was like a brother to him, but good god was he an idiot, and though Yellow was sweet and kind she was always quiet and difficult to read. Green, on the other hand had always matched him wit for wit, always managed to challenge him. Not too many people could do that.

“So, you building up a team, yet?” Blue asked. “Or are all the sweaty dudes getting all the best ones?”

“In all seriousness, they’re a great bunch of people,” Green admitted. “Gave me my starter and helped teach me the basics. I know most of them on a first name basis. And yeah, I’m getting a team together. We’re getting tough too, so you'd better watch out when we battle.”

“Yeah, yeah, you wouldn’t be able to land a hit on me,” Blue said with a confident grin that suddenly began to fade. “Hey uh...listen, Green. There’s something I have to tell you…, regarding Rocket Industries-”

“Slowpoke tails for the young couple,” the waiter suddenly said, having seemingly materialized out of nowhere. Blue yelped and jumped, while Green watched his reaction curiously.

“Er...yes, thank you very much,” Blue said, settling back in his chair, now very red.

“Is there anything else I can-?”

“No, no, that’s enough,” Blue snapped, waving the waiter away, who gave him a very affronted look.

“What’s eating you?” Green asked, watching Blue very warily. “Is this...something serious?”

Blue looked up, just to confirm that the waiter was out of earshot. “It’s er...a long story.”

He told her everything. About how Oak had prevented him from crossing into Mt. Moon, to Looker tracking him down and rocking his world in a way he never could have predicted, to his feelings about how his grandfather had lied to him… It felt good to get out. Green was a good listener, intently focused, and she never interrupted him.

Green swirled her glass, before taking a sip of her own. “I think you’re exaggerating, this isn’t really all that bad. Better than any of that Pallet swill at the very least.”

“Okay, dude?” Blue deadpanned. For all of the reactions he had expected from his childhood friend, completely changing the subject wasn’t one of them. “I kinda dropped a major bombshell, do you want to...respond to it at all?”

Green pursed her lips. “Look, it’s a lot to take in, and-” she froze. “Oh my god. Look at the television.”

Blue whirled around. There on the tiny screen, Red was unmistakably talking with a reporter, a look of intense pride on his face. Did he…

“Sir, do you mind turning up the volume?” He asked, and the bartender nodded. A moment later and he could hear Red’s loud, arrogant voice that he never realized he kind of missed.

“I won’t lie, Brock’s a pretty tough trainer,” Red said, holding up a badge. “But you know, when you’re as skilled and strategic and sexy as me…”

“Well, what do you know?” Green whispered, a large smile forming on her face. “He actually did it.”

“Yeah,” Blue said, and he couldn’t help but feel his spirits rise. Maybe Red could be an adequate rival after all.

His good mood didn’t last very long, however, as that was precisely when the Ekans lunged for him from behind.

Letting out a yelp, Blue crashed into the table, knocking his plate askew and shattering his wine glass. The purple snake wrapped around him, and when Blue ripped a Pokeball off his belt, a tail slapped it out of his hands. He tried to wrench himself free, but the grip was iron tight, and all attempts to escape were halted when the Ekans squeezed. He couldn’t move...he could barely even breathe…

No one else, not the waiter, not the bartender, even moved, as if they had expected this to happen. Even Green looked merely mildly surprised, sliding back when the spilled wine threatened to splash her.

“Help….me…” Blue managed to hiss out, his eyes desperately focused on the one person he thought he could trust. Green bit her lip and turned away.

The kitchen doors open, and half a dozen men sprinted out, surrounding the pair. They wore dark outfits, and their faces were covered with bandannas. At last a woman flanked them, clad in white, her pink hair seemingly defying physics in how it pointed back. It had grown so silent that the click of her high heels against the floor could be clearly heard by all in the room.

“Excellent work, Green,” the woman said, giving a cold smile to the now very awkward girl. “I thought we’d never get him to lower his guard.”

“I-I thought you just wanted to talk to him!” Green protested. “I didn’t think you were going to assault him!”

“Yes, well, this ensures he can’t escape,” the woman said, leaning over Blue, who had gone very pale. “I don’t like taking risks. Venom, loosen your grip; we don’t want to kill him.”

The Ekans let out a hiss of annoyance, but adjusted itself. Blue let out a gasp of air and sagged.

“There, is that better?” The woman crooned.

“You named your Ekans ‘Venom’?” Blue snapped, as soon as he had his wits about them. “Kinda on the nose. What, next you’re gonna have a Koffing named ‘Explosive’?”

“You really aren’t in much of a position to quip,” the woman said. “I’d watch your tongue, or you could very well lose it.”

“Yeah, yeah, we both know you can’t kill me,” Blue said. “You need me to get to my grandfather.”

“I see that the rumors of your great intelligence were not exaggerated.” The bartender had approached and pulled off his hat and coat, revealing a white uniform identical to the woman’s, and long blue hair that fell to his shoulders. “It’s very nice to meet you, Blue Oak.”

“Oh yeah, charmed,” Blue said through gritted teeth. The man looked saddened by his expression. The waiter calmly went to work, sweeping up the mess that Blue inadvertently made. That settled it, Blue realized. The whole restaurant had been set as a stage.

“I’d like to make it clear that we would never have treated you like this had we not serious concerns about your suspicions relating to our intentions,” the man said. “We were planning on merely waylaying you when you arrived at Mt. Moon in a much more appropriate and polite manner. Unfortunately, you never came our way, and thanks to Green here, we know that you are in fact conspiring against us.”

“Who even is 'us'?” Blue asked. “I know a lot less than what you guys seem to think.”

“I’m Jessie, the executive leading Mt. Moon excavation project,” the woman said with an extravagant pose. “James here is my second in command.”

“We’re co-executives!”’ the man, James, protested.

“Shut up, James,” Jessie snapped. “At any rate, we’d like to offer our own side of the story.”

“Oh your own side?” Blue shook his head in disbelief. “You mean the side that’s no doubt behind the rapidly rising crime rate in Saffron and Celadon, practically destroying the ecosystem with all the Pokemon you catch in droves, and siccing an Ekans on me? You really expect me to listen?”

“Blue, they have a point,” Green piped up. “Please, just hear them out. Their intentions are more noble than you might believe.”

Blue rounded on her. “Oh, the last thing I want to hear is your opinion. You seriously led me into a trap? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Color rose in Green’s cheeks. “Exactly what you told me less than five minutes ago. The only adult that’s ever treated me with respect my entire life was your grandfather, and what do I learn? That he’s been lying, covering up a Pokemon powerful enough to threaten the region with a thought.”

“That doesn’t give Rocket the right-”

“It was only because of Rocket Industries that I received my first Pokemon, that I actually have the opportunity to follow my dream of being a trainer,” Green said. “I may not agree with their methods, and I definitely disagree with how you’ve been treated tonight, but I know when all is said and done that their goal is to protect Kanto from this… This being that Oak wanted to hide!”

James smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. Blue sneered at the motion.

“So what’s this goal anyway?” Blue asked. “What brilliant plan do you have to protect the region?”

“Simply put, it is our mission to seek out and exterminate the clone engineered specifically to end the Indigo War,” Jessie said. “To reach that goal, we will do whatever we deem necessary, legal or no.”

“And my grandfather?” Blue asked.

James gave him a look of disappointment. “What we covet is strength, especially in the most capable trainers of the region. You do know your grandfather’s involvement in the events leading to the Indigo War, do you not?”

“I…” Blue hesitated. “I...do…”

“Then you must realize that someone as remarkable and with as much power as Samuel Oak is a vital resource in the struggle against 2.0. With Rocket’s increasingly formidable arsenal, we’d stand a considerable chance.”

“So we’re asking your cooperation,” Jessie said. “Convince the old coot to be of assistance. Hell, join our cause yourself. Rocket Industries is the future, and we’d like you to be part of it.”

“Yeah, the future,” Blue said. “The betterment of the region. Only it doesn’t matter who gets trampled in the process, does it?”

James let out a little sigh. “So I trust you won’t be cooperating? Do keep in mind that as a hostage we can still use you as blackmail against Samuel Oak.”

“It’s a resounding no,” Blue snapped. “Go to hell.”

Jessie rolled his eyes. “Get me his Pokeballs.”

“No!” Blue cried as he tried to struggle out of Venom’s grip, but it was no use. A pair of the men ripped the balls off his belt and tossed them to Jessie, who grinned at them.

“Not too shabby. The famous Blue Oak’s prized Pokemon.” Jessie admired them for a moment before putting them into her pockets. “I think I’ll just add them to my rotation.”

“Officer Jessie…” Green protested. “Is this really necessary? Can’t we just send him on his way?”

“So he blabs to the authorities?” Jessie glared at the murder in Blue’s eyes. “No, no. I’m afraid he won’t be going anywhere.”

“What about this ball, boss?” one of the men in black was holding the ball that Blue had dropped onto the floor. “You want this one, too?”

Jessie looked at the ball in interest. “What’s in it?”

The man examined it for a moment. “Rattata.”

“Ew…” Jessie made a face, losing interest immediately. “Keep it if you want.”

“Sweet!” the man said, before clearing his throat. “Er...I mean, you’re the best, boss.”

James stepped up behind Blue. “Again, I’d really like to apologize for this whole ordeal. You do seem like a decent fellow.”

“Yeah, you can save your breath,” Blue said. “No use wasting pleasantries on a prisoner.”

James shrugged. “Fair enough.” In one swift motion, he delivered a chop to Blue’s neck.

He slumped over immediately.

-


End file.
